With a Flower In Her Hair
by sorryireadtoomuch
Summary: This is Percy Jackson's 3rd summer working as a lifeguard on one of his father's cruise ships. Just him and his best friends on a cruise all summer long. Goes to show that when it seems like nothing can get better, a blonde walks into your life. AU
1. Chapter 1

_**Yay! This is the story you guys voted for, I'm super excited about it. Let me know what you guys think!**_

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_Disclaimer:__ I do not own Percy Jackson, although I do own a candle._

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_**Summary:**_

_This is Percy Jackson's 3rd summer working as a lifeguard on one of his father's cruise ships. Just him and his best friends on a cruise all summer long. Goes to show that when it seems like nothing can get better, a blonde walks into your life._

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_Chapter 1: Old Friends_

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Percy:

"Jason!" I yelled when I saw a blond haired guy cleaning shot glasses from behind the bar. He was already dressed, ready for work, with his blue polo on and his name tag. Overachiever.

He stopped and set down the glass in his hand. "Perce!" Jason jumped over the bar and ran up to me. He pat (more like hit) my back and smiled at me. "'Hey, did you hook it up with the room and board situation?" he asked.

I smirked at him like the answer should be obvious. "Dude, I could us flat screen tv's in our room if I wanted. Of course we're staying in the same rooms as last summer!"

Jason smiled and nodded, then his face contorted into confusion. "Wait, how could you get us a flat screen?"

I laughed, "Does the term 'Poseidon Cruise Line' mean anything to you?" I threw my arm around Jason and walked him through the deck of the ship. "I practically own this thing."

"Actually, your dad does," he said as we sat by the pool. 100 feet wide, 4 different slides, 5 different jacuzzi's. Sweet.

I waved him off. "Same difference- point is, I can get us anything we want!"

Jason laughed and folded a towel. "Okay, how about higher salaries?"

I eyed the towel he just folded. "Why're you folding?" I asked, ignoring his request. I'd already got his salary raised 3 different times.

He cocked an eyebrow at me, like the answer should have been obvious, and folded another towel. "Uhm, because it's 10 in the morning, dude. The passenger's are gonna start boarding in like 3 hours."

"Yeah… 3 hours. We have plenty of time!" I said, leaning back against my chair.

But Jason just shook his head and folded another. "There's a lot to be done. Plus, I've been working all morning. You just got here, grab a damn towel."

I snorted and got up. "Nah, I'm gonna go unpack."

I began to walk away, when Jason called after me. "Bro, where's your stuff?"

I turned to face him, walking backwards toward the elevator that lead down inside. "I checked it," I said simply.

Jason laughed loudly.

I stopped in my tracks. "What?" I asked, confused.

"Travis and Connor got reassigned this summer."

I waited for him to continue. "Yeah, and?"

Jason let out another laugh. "They're in baggage."

My eyes shot open wide. "Oh shit!" I yelled and ran to the elevator.

* * *

I was too late. When I opened the door to my room, my bags were all unpacked; clothes strewn everywhere. I let out a deep sigh and examined the damage. There were swim shorts on top of the TV, boxers on the pillow, an assortment of clothes on the floor, and who knew where my hairbrush was.

I groaned and leaned up against the opened door.

It was then that I heard a vacuum roar to life.

I pushed myself off the door and walked into the hallway. There, there was a girl with chocolate brown skin in a t-shirt and shorts. Her dark curly hair was pulled out of her face in a tight bun. She mouthed along to whatever song was streaming into her ears from her earplugs, then turned with her back facing me.

"Hazel!" I yelled. But she continued vacuuming, moving her hips slightly to her music.

My lips curved up in a grin. I walked up behind her and shook her shoulders. She screamed, dropping the vacuum and ripping the earplugs out of her ears. When she saw me, she leaned against the wall and put her hand on her chest. "Sweet lord, Percy. You scared the hell outta me."

I laughed and leaned in to give her a hug. She didn't accept it, and shoved my shoulder lightly instead, frowning. I spread my arms out invitingly and gave her my best puppy dog face. "Oh come on, you missed me!"

A small smile spread across her lips and she ran into my arms. When we pulled away, a large grin was taking over her face. "So, how was another year at UCSD?" she asked. "How many credits do you need to finish you major?"

"Which one?" I asked.

Her eyes went wide. "Perce, are you really double majoring?"

I shrugged. "Buisness, I had to major in. I really want to take over my dads cruise line one day." Hazel nodded, she already knew that I was majoring in business. "But I took up Marine Biology recently, and honestly, I'm really happy."

"Awe, Percy that's great!" she smiled, looking really happy for me. The great thing was, she really was happy for me. I'd only known Hazel for a year now, but she was the closest thing I had to a sister. Well, her and Rachel. But anyway, last summer was Hazel's first summer working here and we'd gotten really close. She was a really hard worker.

In fact…

"Hazel, why the hell are you vacuuming, I thought you were gonna get promoted this summer?" I asked.

Her dark cheeks flushed. "I did," she said in a small voice. "I'm just vacuuming because I'm nervous. Plus, someone has to do it." Good ol' Hazel. Doing other peoples work, not to get ahead, but just because.

"Okay, well where'd you get promoted?" I asked.

"Activities!" she squealed. "Yup," she nodded, "I do game nights on the pool deck and afternoon trivia in lounge #4."

"Hazel, that's great!"

She grinned. "I know! The best part is that it's triple what I was making as a maid last summer, and it's way more fun!"

Her face then turned a little serious. "Percy," she continued, "with this raise, I don't have to sell Arion. I have enough money, and after the summer's over I can finally enroll at Madison!"

My eyes went wide. All Hazel has ever wanted to do was go to Madison University and study history. But she was torn between her dream and her horse. Arion was her best friend, she couldn't just sell him. But without that money, she'd never been able to pay for college by herself. But now, she could do it. Keep her horse, keep her dream. I hugged her.

A loud beep came over the sound system in the ship. Then the voice of Captain D came over the loudspeaker. "Welcome to another cruise at Poseidon Cruise Line on ship Sally. Yes, you got stuck with me again. Welcome, welcome, yada yada yada… alright we need all staff in Theater C for a meeting before the passengers board the ship." Another beep followed, signaling that the announcement was done.

Hazel shrugged and we began walking to Theater C.

"Have ya seen anyone yet?" I asked casually.

She nodded. "Yeah, the Stolls. They were messing with your bags…"

I rolled my eyes. "Tell them thanks, that was a great surprise."

She laughed and continued. "I saw Clarisse, Katie, Juniper, Grover, Will, Jake, and…" she thought for a moment, trying to access her memories, "oh, and Silena and Beckendorf. But only for a second."

"Lemme guess," I laughed, "making out in the karaoke room on the 3rd floor?"

She rolled her eyes. "What else is new?"

We arrived at the elevator and Hazel pressed the up button. See, the staff rooms were on the very bottom level. It was like our own personal floor, so everything else was on another floor. Theater C just happened to be on the 4th level.

The elevator sprang open and we walked in. As the doors began to close, a strong hand stuck into the elevator, stopping the doors. The doors opened back up, revealing Malcolm, Nico, and Thalia.

"Why doesn't she work here?" Thalia asked Malcolm, entering the elevator.

Nico rolled his eyes. "Just because you and your brother both work here… You know, not every job runs in the family, Thalia." Then Nico glanced at me. "No offense Per- Percy?!" He smiled from ear to ear and gave me a quick (manly, of course) hug. "Hey Percy! Oh, hey Hazel!"

Malcolm, Nico, and Thalia were all in their uniformed cruise worker clothes. No matter what your job was on the ship, everyone had a blue and a white polo and khaki pants. All three of my friends were wearing the white polo.

Everyone exchanged hello's and hugs, then they got right back into the conversation. Malcolm shrugged, shaking his sandy blond hair. "I don't know my sister that well. We stopped living together when I was 10 and she moved in with her rich friend."

"What're we talking about?" Hazel asked.

"Malcolm's sister is gonna vacation on the cruise-" Thalia began to explain.

"But they haven't seen each other in a long time." Nico said.

Thalia shot Nico a deathly glare with her lightning blue eyes.. "I was telling the story just fine, Death Breath," she growled.

Everyone sighed. We were all used to their bickering.

I looked at Malcolm, who was standing in the connor with pursed lips.

The elevator doors flew open and we all began making our way to the theater. Hazel, Nico, and Thalia walked ahead of Malcolm and I.

"How do you know it's this cruise?" I asked Malcolm.

Malcolm was one of those guys who'd been working for this cruise line for a long time, so I knew him pretty well. Both he and his sister were taken away from their father when he was 10 and she was 8. He bounced between foster homes for 8 years until he finally turned 18. Then he started working for the cruise line the same year as me. He works cruises year round, saving money for school. He's been working for 3 years and was a year older than me.

But he had never talked about his sister. Percy had never heard anything about her other than how she was taken away when she was 8.

Malcolm sighed. "I follow her on Twitter. God, I haven't seen her in 3 years... But anyway, she posted a picture of her and her friend in front of the cruise this morning. She's been tweeting all morning. I guess the passengers get here super early because check in takes forever."

"But you're sure it's this boat?" I pressed. I hoped not. Malcolm was finally standing on his own two feet, the last thing he needed was to knocked down by the past.

He nodded. "Yup, they took a picture in front of the ship. You know, where it say's 'Sally.'"

Percy gulped at the sound of his mom's name.

"Plus," Malcolm continued, "They tweeted about the departure information and it all matches. She's definitely here."

"Yeah, yeah, welcome, welcome, now sit down!" boomed a voice from inside the Theater. Well, that ended that conversation. Malcolm and I entered the theater and took our seats.

The meeting had to be held on the largest theater on the ship because there were so many staff members. The social groups were usually separated by where people worked on the ship, but I was friends with mixed groups. Most of my friends worked in activities, though.

Captain D stood at the center of the stage with a microphone in one hand and a Coke in the other. The Captain ran a hand through his black, curly hair. He had a classic hawaiian t-shirt on with purple shorts. Looking good, Captain. "Okay, listen up," he said with a frown.

And that was my cue to tune out.

I leaned back in my chair and scanned the room for the Stoll brothers, hoping to ring their necks for what they did to my luggage.

I saw them standing in the back of the theater on one of the luggage trolleys, both in their white polo uniforms. Connor was hanging by the top pole and leaning forward while Travis was leaning back and checking out one of the new activities directors. She stood in the back clutching a clipboard and hanging onto every one of Captain D's words. She was the only one dressed semi-professional, with a white v-necked collared shirt and a light blue pencil skirt. Travis was pretty much drooling.

When she noticed Travis scanning her, she let out a light chuckle and tossed her dirty blond hair over her shoulder. Travis sighed and pretended to listen to the Captain.

I, seeing the whole thing, was thinking about how I couldn't wait to tease Travis about the girl when the Leo stumbled through the doors. "I'M HERE!"

There was muffled laughter throughout the Theater. Captain D sighed. "Oh Leo, how we've all missed you so."

Leo beamed back. He pounded his fist twice and pointed to the stage. "You too Captain!"

Captain D massaged his forehead and sighed. "Sit down, Valdez, before I fire you."

Leo waved his hand in defeat. "Good point sir," he said and scanned the theater for a seat.

I waved my hand and Leo's face lit up like a Christmas tree. He sat down next to me. Like me, Leo enjoyed ignoring authorities and pretending he had more charm than he really did.

"What up, Jackson," Leo said while we fist bumped.

I smiled. Only people who really knew me knew to call me Jackson instead of Poseidon. Even though, legally, my name was Percy Poseidon, I preferred my mom's last name. "Just getting through. What're you working this summer?"

Leo smiled, "Lifeguard Leo."

"You hate swimming," I laughed.

He shrugged, "How many times a summer do you actually have to save people?"

"Uh, like 1 time a cruise, maybe."

He grinned, like he just won our conversation. "Exactly. How hard-"

"But I have to jump in a lot because people freak out. Plus, answer people's annoying questions about where everything is on the boat. You have to know this ship forwards and backwards," I explained.

He pursed his lips with a bit of hesitation and then changed it to a goofy grin. "All in a day's work for the Leo."

I groaned. "Ugh, stop referring to yourself in 3rd person."

Leo and I laughed it off and pretended to listen to the Captain talk about safety procedures. I glanced at Leo and saw his hard expression. I've known him for two years, and I gotta admit, I worry about the guy. He's so carefree and smiley, but the second he turns his back, it's like World War III in that kids mind. He was 20, like me, and one of my best friends on the ship; but I can't say that I know too much about him.

Finally the Captain clapped loudly, his signature move when he's done blabbing away, and said, "Alright godlings, the passengers are gonna start boarding in 45 minutes. You're work hours are posting in your rooms. Everyone go check. If you start at boarding time, change and man your battle stations. It's show time people!"

Everyone groaned and slowly started walking back to the elevators.

"Why does he call us godlings? I've never understood that." Malcolm asked.

Leo and I shrugged at the same time. "Who knows," Leo answered.

"The man's unstable, I swear," I add.

When I got back to my room, I checked the schedule for the lifeguards and did a silent happy dance. I got the best shifts. Every day from noon to 4:30 except Wednesdays, when I have a double shift that starts at 7:30 and ends at 4:30, and Fridays, that I don't work at all.

I smiled at my good luck, but honestly, I didn't expect anything else. When your dad is that owner of the cruise line, you can do whatever you want.

I looked at the clock, 11:55. The passengers start boarding and I start my shift in 5 minutes.

I put on my red swim trunks, grabbed my whistle, and ran out onto the pool deck.

Let the fun begin.

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_**A/N: This is generally a little bit longer of a chapter, but I thought it was necessary. Guess who's POV next chapter will be in? (;**_

_**Leave me a little review about what you thought! Should I continue?**_


	2. Chapter 2 - Welcome Aboard

**_A/N: 18 followers, 12 favorites, and 11 reviews in one day?! Pinch me, I'm dreaming._**

**_So I made this chapter extra long and it's all in Annabeth's POV._**

**_And no, it's not just gonna be a clique love at first sight or a clique hate at first sight. Honestly idk what I'm gonna do haha but I'll figure it out. Anywho, enjoy!_**

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_Disclaimer__: I do not own Percy Jackson, although I do own a cell phone._

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_**Summary:**_

_This is Percy Jackson's 3rd summer working as a lifeguard on one of his father's cruise ships. Just him and his best friends on a cruise all summer long. Goes to show that when it seems like nothing can get better, a blonde walks into your life._

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_Chapter 2: Welcome Aboard_

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Annabeth:

"Annabeth…" I ignored Piper's groan.

She lightly stomped her foot, her cheep brown sandals hitting the bridge that connected land and the ship that would be our home for the next month. "Dork-knob!"

I didn't look up, and instead, filled in another number in my sudoku puzzle.

She snatched the book of puzzles out of my hand. I looked up at her with a frown. "Seriously?" I asked annoyed.

She scrunched her eyebrows and pouted. "Yes, seriously." Her beautiful chocolate brown hair was pulled back in a high ponytail. Her ever-changing eyes glared at me with concern.

I rolled my eyes and held my hand out, waiting for her to give me my book back.

She clutched it close to her chest. "One condition. You can only use it right before bed."

I pursed my lips. "Before bed AND by the pool."

Piper eyed me suspiciously and then nodded, handing me back my book. I noticed Piper's clothes and my heart softened. She was wearing her cheep, tight, white tank top and old wore down shorts. You could easily see her washed out purple bathing suit top through her shirt.

Piper was funny like that. Whenever we weren't with her dad, she dressed down. I mean, really down. She still looked stunning, of course, there was no getting rid of her looks. But she still never wore more layers than necessary and jewelry was out of the question.

She put her hand on her hip and glared at me. "What?"

"Just you."

She shrugged it off, knowing that it wasn't worth questioning me further.

I stuffed my book of puzzles in my gray bag. It was my favorite, the only thing left I had from my father. There was a small owl on the top corner of it. When I was younger, I found myself tracing the outline of it all the time.

"Look at us!" Piper said dramatically, taking me out of my train of thought. "This is so cool!" She threw an arm around my shoulder and stared up at the large ship. It was huge. With rows and rows of port windows and balconies lining the the top. I could see a small mini golf course, a track, and a bunch of slides that must meet at a pool. Yet, I wasn't impressed.

"What, the ship? Piper this is nothing new," I told her. It was true, we've been on every kind of cruise, stayed at every kind of hotel, went to every genre of music concert. These types of things weren't treats to us, they were our norm.

Piper sighed. "No, not the ship, although I am excited to try this one out. You know, we've never been on a Poseidon Cruise Line ship?"

That actually did surprise me. We've been on a bunch of cruises.

"Annabeth, look around us!" she exclaimed.

I did. There were tourists lined up in front and behind us. Most of them had gotten their bags checked, so were just standing with small purses and tickets. A bunch of them had sunglasses on or floppy hats and everyone was wearing shorts.

I looked back at Piper and raised an eyebrow. "Cool?"

"No," she huffed, "not them. I mean look who's not here!"

Okay, Piper had officially gone nuts. "I'm not following."

She grinned from ear to ear and gripped my shoulders (which was actually quite frightening), and shook me lightly. "Annabeth! No photographers, no secretaries constantly on their phones, no Tristan!" She let go of me and did an embarrassing little twirl.

I laughed and took a step away from her. She was right, of course, this was the first trip that her dad didn't come along or force his secretaries to come with us. He said it was for "our safety" but I just think he's overprotective.

Don't get me wrong, I love the man. He adopted me after I was taken out of my dad's house when I was eight. He considered me just as much his daughter as Piper and I was so grateful. He's an amazing man.

He's just really protective of us.

Which is understandable, I mean, he's a famous movie star so we grew up around paparazzi and photo shoots and models.

Taking me away from my thoughts, Piper squealed (yes I said squealed) and grabbed my hand. "Line's moving forward! We're almost on board!" Only a family of four and a young couple stood between us and the cruise ship. I looked at the side of the boat and saw large engraved letters. _Sally_.

Weird name for a ship.

"Come on!" Piper jerked my arm and dragged me through the doors

Piper handed her ticket and ID to the guy at the right side of the door while I handed mine to the guy at the left. Then, I looked up. I gasped. "Piper…"

She stopped flirting with the ticket guy to look over. "Yeah? Oh…"

Picture a grand hall in all its elegance, a dome at the top with the sun streaming through. I looked at the patterns on the dome and noticed it was a Greek style of architecture, absolutely stunning.

Suddenly a hand waved in front of my face. "Hello, earth to Annabeth!"

I blinked and saw frowning. "Stop studying to design, and look around!"

I did.

In the middle of the room, there was a huge circular table lined with bartenders. The middle of the circle was raised like a stage with a cover band playing Red Hot Chilli Peppers. Some of the passengers that had already boarded were laughing and drinking while bobbing their heads or dancing to the music. The party was in full swing.

We seemed to be on the bottom floor, because there were rows of balconies lining the center room if you looked. I counted 4. Each one seemed to be filled with excited passengers. Couples in each others arms, children running up and down the stairs. There were at least 4 elevators around the large circular room.

Someone knudged my shoulder and I turned to see a boy smiling at me. "Pretty sweet, huh?" He was about my age, 19, and two inches taller than me, probably 5'11. He looked like a latino elf with curly blair hair and dark brown eyes. He had a cheerful, yet mischievous smile. He wore a plain white t-shirt and shorts.

I smiled and looked around at the chaos. "Yeah, it's unbelievable."

"Ever been on a cruise?" he asked.

I nodded. "Yeah, plenty. But never this cruise line."

The guy chuckled. "Seriously? Poseidon's the best!" He stuck his hand out. "I'm Leo, by the way."

I smiled and shook his hand. "Annabeth. So you've been on this cruise before?"

He laughed and pointed to his pocket. A badge was clipped to his pants that had his picture and his name. "I work here," he told me.

"Oh?" I said, questionably.

He smirked. "I'm off duty right now, of course."

I smiled and then realized he could help me. "Oh, hey," I showed him my ticket. "Could you tell me where my room is?"

He studied my ticket. "Yeah, okay so right there," he pointed to the right of me, just 10 feet away, "there's the elevator."

"Yeah Leo," I laughed, "I see the elevator."

"Okay," he smirked. "Sassy. Well, go in and press the down button and-"

My eyebrows pushed together. "There are more floors beneath us?" I interrupted.

He raise a brow. "Yeah… where did you think the rooms were?"

Hm. I actually didn't think about it. "Well, I assumed they were on some of those floors," I said gesturing up at the floors lining the main room.

His face contorted into confusion. "But… then where would we put the dining halls? And theaters? And coffee houses and night clubs and karaoke bars and spas?"

My eyes widened. "Wha-"

"Hey Annabeth, you ready?" Piper interrupted. Hm, she must be done flirting with the ticket guy. "Oh," she said when she saw Leo. She let out a small chuckle and bit her lip to keep from laughing any further. What the hell, why? "Who's this?" she asked.

Leo stuck out his hand and smiled mischievously. Instead of introducing himself, he kissed Piper's hand. "Oh, so nice to see you again, Miss McLean."

Piper threw her head back in laughter and pushed Leo off of her hand. "Shove off, Leo."

They knew each other? I must have looked as surprised as I felt, because Piper grabbed my arm and looked at Leo. "So I see you've already bothered my friend, nice going."

Leo shrugged. "Just doing my job."

She rolled her eyes. "Don't you have a pool to watch?" she teased with a sparkle in her eyes.

"I'm so confused," I blurted out.

"Annabeth, as you might already know, this is Leo Valdez. He's a family friend."

I knit my eyebrows in confusion. If he was a family friend, why haven't I ever met him before? I mean, I'm part of the family. "He's the one that told me about this cruise line," Piper explained.

Leo waved weakly and smiled. "Yup, that's me. What me to show you guys where your room is?"

Piper and I nodded and Leo led us to the elevator.

* * *

Our room was big for a cruise ship, but small for any other circumstance. It's not like it mattered, Piper wouldn't let me hang out in here during the day anyway. Our room was pretty much two rooms joined together by a bathroom. We each had Queen sized beds and a small TV. The bathroom simply had a shower, a toilet, and a sink. There was a full body mirror on both sides of the door that connected our rooms.

Right now, the door was open and swinging in my room.

After Leo left, Piper stripped off her tank and shorts and was now checking herself out in our mirror.

"You look fine, now back away and don't break the mirror," I mumbled, starting another crossword puzzle in my book.

Piper sighed and jumped onto my bed. "Yeah, but you don't! Come on!" she begged, tugging lightly on my blond locks of hair that hung on my shoulders.

I swatted her hand away. "Just lemme finish."

She huffed. "Annabeth, you just started."

"You're point?" I mumbled, not looking up from my book.

She groaned and leaned back, thinking for a moment. "Okay, here's a win win. We'll go to the pool. That way I can relax while you do your puzzles."

I thought about this for a moment, then realized that this was the best offer I was going to get. I groaned and closed my book. "Fine."

She smiled and got off my bed to search for her sunglasses.

* * *

The pool.

_Wow_, the pool

I'm not good with measurements, but sweet lord, this pool seemed as big as the ocean.

To get to it, we took the elevator to the top floor, closest to the dome. Then out a pair of double doors was the main deck. As big as the pool was, it didn't even fill up half the deck. The beginning of the pool was only 10 feet away from the double doors. The shallowest part closest to us.

The pool was like a beach. You could walk straight in, having the water rise up from your ankles, to your knees, to your waist, to your chest. Kids played in the sand while parents watched and laughed and drank from a nearby jacuzzi. There were at least two more jacuzzi's that I could see, plus a complicated array of water slides that threw out children and teens every 5-10 seconds.

Before I could study the pool deck any further, Piper grabbed my arm and tugged me to the beach chairs. We laid our our blue Poseidon Cruise Line towels that we got from our room on our perspective chairs and laid down.

"Why these chairs?" I asked. There were a bunch to choose from, but she chose the ones farthest away from the pool with barely any sunlight.

Piper smirked and lifted an eyebrow. She nodded behind her. "That's why."

I turned and saw a bar. There was a young blond guy serving drinks to an elderly couple. He seemed to be having a nice conversation with them.

I looked back at Piper and groaned. "Again, really?"

She smiled sweetly. "It wouldn't be vacation without a little fun juice!"

"Piper," I tried to be the voice of reason, "how do you expect to get them? You're 19." But even as I said it, I know she could easily get us drinks. For some reason, Piper could talk her way into anything. Getting herself out of trouble, getting us free stuff, anything really.

She let out a light laugh. "Oh Annie," she called me, knowing how much I hated that, "you're so cute when you doubt me." She smirked and stood up, walking towards the bar, her body bouncing in all the right places.

I groaned and focused back to my crossword puzzle.

The book was huge, 758 pages of different kind of mind puzzles. I loved them. My dad gave me to the book when I was 7, a year before I was taken away from my home. I sighed and stroked the worn down spine of the book. It was wrinkled from being folded over on too many plane rides and long car drives.

Sadly, I'm almost done with the book. I have about 40 more puzzles left. On many different occasions I'd thought about erasing my work on the previous puzzles, but I always decided against it. I guess I didn't have the heart.

I set the book down and pulled my sunglasses down over my eyes. When I turned around, I saw that Piper was laughing with the blond guy at the bar. I laughed lightly and rolled my eyes. Flirt.

I turned back to scan the pool. A group of little girls were standing by the pool staring at the water. One of the girls dipped her toe in the pool and pulled it back. They talked amongst themselves, as if debating whether or not they should go in.

A guy in red swim trunks walked up and leaned down to talk to the girls. He had a whistle around his neck and black messy hair. Hm, he must be the lifeguard. The girls all giggled to what he was saying. One girl nodded and jumped in the water, the rest following.

"What did I tell you?" Piper giggled and sat down next to me on her chair. "Who's the best? I'm the best."

She crossed her legs and leaned back in content. Beaming a smile at me, she handed me a tall smoothie glass with a pinapple on the top. "Smoothie?" I asked.

She rolled her eyes. "You know me better than that."

I took a sip, the warm alcohol trickling down my throat. I laughed. "How do you get away with it every time?"

Piper smirked and shrugged. "You can say say that…" she took a sip of her drink, "I have a way with words."

I took another sip from my glass and looked back to where the lifeguard was previously standing, only to see a different group of kids playing around and the lifeguard gone.

"Ah," Piper said. "I saw you eyeing down that man candy earlier."

"Ugh," I groaned, "I hope he's gay."

Piper laughed. "You would. Come on, we're on a cruise! Go find him and flirt."

I fixed my gray bikini top, trying to make my boobs look bigger. Then I decided that it wouldn't make much of a difference. I went to take another sip of my drink to see that it was empty. I frowned. "First, another drink maybe?"

Piper stood up and smiled. "Okay, come on! I want you to meet Jason." She grabbed my arm and dragged me away from my comfortable chair.

* * *

The blond boy was hot, I'll admit. But he had a hardness to him that I couldn't see past. How Piper got him to give us alcohol, I'll never know. I found out his name was Jason Grace.

Jason's bright blue eyes gleamed as he watched me take my first sip of his famous Strawberry Pina Coladas. "Well…?" he asked anxiously.

The sweet taste of strawberries mixed with the sweeter taste of pineapple and burn of alcohol. I took another sip and nodded. "Jason, this is awesome," I complimented.

He smiled like he already knew that I would like it.

"So how long have you been a bartender?" Piper asked casually. Her hair was messy, falling over her shoulders at every angle. Her makeup was nonexistent and her bikini was simple. She looked flawless. When she talked to him, she was casual and nothing more than friendly. I knew she was flirting. Whether he did or not, I didn't know.

He poured a man in a Hawaiian shirt a shot and leaned over the counter casually to talk to us. "Legally?" he teased with a gleam in his eye. Piper and I cracked a smile. "This is my first summer. Last summer, I was the lifeguard."

My chest tightened. Hey, maybe Jason knew that hot lifeguard with black hair.

"Oh," Piper said, her eyes looking a kind of light green, "Do you know Leo? Leo Va-"

"Valdez!" Jason interrupted, his face breaking out into a wide smile. "Yeah, I love that kid! How do you know him?"

"Family friends," she answered with a shrug. "He's the one that suggested this cruise line."

"Yeah," I joined in, "we've never been on a Poseidon ship before."

He raised a brow. "You guys have been on other cruises before? Most people are first timers."

Piper tossed her hair out of her face and took another sip of her drink. "We've been on at least one cruise a year since I was like seven."

Jason widened his eyes. "Whoa, cool." He seemed to look at us in a different light. Suddenly, we weren't the poor college kids that we looked like. He assumed we were rich. Which I guess, Piper was. But you'd never know by looking at her.

Piper just smiled and flicked the straw out of her mouth with her tongue. "My dad's a good guy," she said simply.

We sat and talked for a while. Jason told us how he was 21 and that this was his second summer working on the _Sally_ and how everyone was pretty much like family. He told us that his sister Thalia also works on the ship as a barista at one of the coffee shops on the 2nd level.

We told him about ourselves but Piper never mentioned her last name. I wasn't surprised, she never told anyone about her dad. I never did either, it wasn't my story to tell.

It was starting to get a little colder, about 65 degrees. Piper and I both had our towels around our shoulders to keep us warm. I'll admit, I had a couple too many drinks. But I was also kinda cold and I just wanted to go take a nap in the room.

Piper and Jason were talking about different types of alcohol when I stood up. "I'm getting cold, I'm gonna go take a nap."

Piper pursed her lips. "Okay, but I'm coming back for you at 9. Then you have to take a shower and we're going with Jason."

Oh yeah, Jason invited us to that hang out with the people who worked on the ship. I yawned and nodded. "Kay, just don't be too late," I told her with a wink.

She lightly shoved my shoulder. "Go sleep."

"Will do!" I told her with a wave. I grabbed my wallet and clothes and stumbled across the pool deck. There were few people at the pool now, just a couple high school kids in the jacuzzi. But honestly, I was too tired (and dizzy) to pay much attention. The doors between the pool deck and the main room were huge automatic doors. Lucky too, because I probably would have run into them.

Instead, I ran into the wall on the side of hall. "Ouchie…" I mumbled, sliding down onto the ground.

Before I could fall, a strong pair of arms grabbed my waist. "Whoa there, clumsy."

I gasped dramatically. "I… am n-not clumsy," I stuttered, falling out of him arms and onto the ground.

"Shit!" the guy cussed and looked around, making sure no one saw me fall. I tried to get a look at his face, but I was too tired.

So I blacked out.

* * *

_**A/N: SOOOO?! Thoughts? Leave me a little review!**_

_**PS: I know I have been told in this story and my others to be more descriptive. And I'm trying! But just know that I'm not I **_**_writer. I never write except for these and before these I had never written before. Nor do I ever plan on being a writer, so please be patient with me!_**


	3. Chapter 3 - Been a Long Time

_**A/N: So sorry for the annoying cliffy. Plus a couple people had guesses about who took drunk Annabeth home, and I hope that I surprised you!**_

_**No Percabeth in this chapter (boooo) but they do meet!**_

_**Anyway, enjoy the chapter!**_

* * *

_Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson, although I do own this handy laptop._

* * *

_Summary:_

_This is Percy Jackson's 3rd summer working as a lifeguard on one of his father's cruise ships. Just him and his best friends on a cruise all summer long. Goes to show that when it seems like nothing can get better, a blonde walks into your life._

* * *

_Chapter Three: Been a Long Time_

* * *

Annabeth:

I woke up with a blaring headache. Then something hit my chest. "Get up, Annabeth. We're meeting them in an hour!"

I shot up in my bed, suddenly very dizzy. A bottle of Advil fell off my chest and into my lap. Perfect. "Ah, thanks Pipes."

"Yeah, yeah," she said, waving me off while adding more mascara to her eyelashes. She sat on the floor in between our rooms using the joined mirror, her makeup bag at her side. "Now pop two of those bad boys and get in the shower, we're going out."

"With who? What time is it?" I stood up and yawned, then swallowed two of the tiny capsules.

Piper stood up and I saw she was wearing dark maroon skinny jeans and a ivory colored flowy top. A long necklace hung on her shirt and gray leaf earrings hung from her ears. Her hair was the same as ever, slightly messy falling onto her shoulders, yet perfect. She turned in a full circle and gestured to her outfit. "How do I look?"

"Stunning. Now who are we going with and what time is it?"

She fidgeted in her makeup bag and sighed. "It's 8 and we're going with Jason and Leo and some of their friends. Now stop asking questions and get in the damn shower."

I groaned but obliged. The hot water cleansed me, and suddenly I felt like a night out was exactly what I needed.

Percy:

I jumped onto my bed, halfway ready, waiting for the drama queen to finish getting ready. But come on, all I need is a shirt. "I don't understand why you can't just answer the question!" I yelled to my roommate who was in our bathroom brushing his teeth.

He stuck his head out and glared his blue eyes at me, his toothbrush sticking out of his mouth. He mumbled something inaudible.

"Dude, I can't understand you," I told him. I weighed the book of puzzles that I found at the pool today in my hands.

Jason sighed dramatically and took the toothbrush out of his mouth. "Cause it's none of your damn business Jackson. And get off my bed!"

"Like hell," I laughed. "Come on, share! They were hot."

Jason must have finished washing up, because he walked out of the bathroom and dried his hands on his green boxers.

"I just washed those, man!" I said.

He chuckled lightly. "And you call me the girl."

"Anyway," I rolled my eyes, "who were those two girls?

He wiped his mouth on a small hand towel and dug through his suitcase, hopefully looking for his clothes because I was sick of seeing him in just his green boxers.

"Dude!" I said. "Answer!"

He pulled out a pair of dark jeans and stuck a foot in. "Piper and Annabeth."

"Okay," I said, sitting up from Jason's bed, "which one's yours?"

Jason raised an eyebrow at me and zipped up his jeans. "What do you mean 'which one's mine'?"

I jumped out of his bed, placed the huge book on my bed, and dug through Jason's suitcase. "Which one do you call dibs on?"

"Dude! My suitcase!" he exclaimed.

I pulled out a simple purple t-shirt from his suitcase. "Can I wear this?" I asked.

"No," he growled and snatched it out of my hand. He studied it. "But good choice, I'm wearing it," and he pulled it over his head.

"Not fair…" I grumbled as I searched the room for one of my shirts. I found one on my pillow, considering that I still hadn't cleaned up since the Stolls strew my clothes everywhere. "Anyway," I put on the white t-shirt, "which one do you call dibs on?"

"I'm not gonna call dibs, that's just-"

"Speak now or forever be single, man," I interrupted, shaking my head.

"The brunette, okay?" he said.

I smiled at him and gestured to myself. "How do I look?" I was wearing dark jeans, a simple white t-shirt with a small v-neck, and white shoes. My hair looked just as it did earlier; all I did was wash it and let it dry.

"Like a jackass," Jason said with an eye roll.

I smirked at him. "Perfect. Let's go."

* * *

Annabeth:

His recognized me, that was for sure. If there was anything I was good at, it was noticing when I was recognized.

_"You're the kid that Tristan McLean adopted right?!""_

_"You're Tristan McLean's daughter!"_

Always. Only obsessed fans, of course, so usually I was safe. But if we went in public with Tristan? Pictures were taken, papers were signed, there was no escape. But I rarely got recognized when I was by myself. And if I was, it was the first thing they asked.

So why was this guy so hesitant? He poured me a virgin shirley temple and smiled. "You like shirley temples?" he asked.

I nodded and tucked a piece of my blond hair behind my ear. The bartender seemed about my age, maybe a little older. He had sandy blond hair and familiar warm grey eyes. He was kind to me, overly nice; but not in a flirty way. Not even close.

"Yeah," I said, "My dad used to make them when I was younger."

He nodded, a sparkle in his eyes. "Mine too." The man left to go tend to other customers while I scanned the room.

It was a sports bar, that much was obvious. But since it was 10:00 at night there weren't any sports on tv. Only a couple other people were here besides me and the bartender; a newlywed couple, a few old men, and a group of women about ready to hit one of the many nightclubs on the ship. The room was decorated to the T, dark purple walls and modern decorations. The lights were dimmed.

I don't know why I didn't want to go out with Piper, Jason, and whomever else they were going with. I knew the only way to ditch them was to tell Piper that I had to go to the bathroom and that I would meet her at the club.

It had been about an hour, she probably caught on by now.

I sighed and took another sip of my shirley temple.

"You alright there?" the bartender snuck up and asked.

I gasped and put my hand on my chest. "Sorry," I let out a light laugh, "you scared me."

"I'm sorry," he said quietly.

Something in his eyes made me say something without thinking. "I'm sorry," I said quickly, "I know this is crazy, but do I know you?"

He smiled softly and tapped his name tag that was pinned on his white Poseidon Cruise Line polo. Malcolm.

My eyes brightened and my heart lifted. Memories flashed of foodless days and fatherless nights. My heart sank, but I tried my best to keep my face excited. "Malcolm… no way!"

I leaned over the bar table and hugged him. "Hey little sister," he pulled away and studied me. "Good to see that you're… privileged." He didn't say it with anger like you'd expect. He said it like… like he was happy for me. Like the worry he felt for his lost little sister disappeared.

But when I remembered what I was wearing, I felt guilty. I had on a designer, see-through, flowy, dark red top, a black sparkly bando, a black pencil skirt, and 3 inch flawless black heels. My hair was naturally curled perfectly and my makeup was light and flawless.

I had been living with a celebrity, material items and money getting thrown at me every week. The world in the palm of my hands. All while Malcolm… "So what have you been doing?"

He turned in a circle and gestured all around him. "You're looking at it," he said with a smile.

"For how long?" I asked, taking another sip of my drink.

"Three years now," he said casual.

We exchanged stories. He told me he went from foster home to foster home until he turned 18. When he had nothing until he somehow landed a job as a busser on the _Sally_.

He worked all summer and when the summer was over, he was offered the job again. He didn't see a direction for his life yet, so he accepted. Three years, that's how long he's been doing this job. Year round he had been bartending, cleaning, cooking, and serving.

When he asked me how I've been, I didn't know what to say. I had to answer honestly, obviously. So I decided to tone it down.

"Uhm, just hanging out. Been with Piper and Tristan ever since. They're wonderful."

"Better than family?" he asked with a smirk.

I smiled. "Some of our family."

It was quiet while he poured me an iced tea and then asked me a question I wasn't expecting. "So when did you start drinking?"

My eyes widened in surprise. "Wh-what?"

He laughed lightly and handed me my drink. "I'm not gonna smite you, be honest."

Taking a sip of my drink, I shrugged. "Like junior year," I said, nervous for his response.

To my surprise, he just chuckled. "Freshman year," he said.

"Seriously?" I laughed.

He nodded. "Yup, yup."

"Wait," I realized. "How'd you know I drink?"

Malcolm shrugged, his grey eyes looked a little lighter. "It's either that, or someone drugged you. You know, you're not too easy to carry, even when you're passed out. Do you lift weights or something?" he said with a chuckle.

"It was you!" I smiled widely. "I was wondering what dude carried me back. How'd you know where my my room was?" I asked suspiciously.

He smirked and shook his head. "Even in your shitty state, you still remembered your wallet."

I nodded understandingly. A collage of pictures of me and Piper lit up my phone on the table as she called me for the 10th time tonight. Malcolm nodded towards it. "You should take that. I'll see you around, sis."

I smiled warmly at the word 'sis' and got up from my bar stool. Answering the phone, I left the sports bar.

_"WHERE ARE YOU?"_ Piper yelled in my ear.

A small smile crept on my lips as I answered, "I told you, I went to the bathroom."

_"Oh, that's bull and you know it. Not even you take that long to shit,"_ she said.

I walked down the hall on the 2nd level, the sound of my heels stepping on the ground mixing in with the conversations of passing passengers. "Want me to meet you guys or not?"

_"Yes!"_ she said quickly, yelling over the noise in whatever club she was in. _"We're in Club Parfait on level 3, I'll meet you out front!"_ I could hear the smile in her voice as she hung up.

I sighed and made my way to the elevator.

* * *

Before I even saw the entrance to the club, a manicured hand grabbed my arm and tugged me toward her. "Come on!" Piper whined, "you have to meet everyone!"

She pulled me into the club and leaned against the bar, her eyes looked almost purple in the dim lighting.

The club was packed. Bodies of college kids grinded against each other on the dance floor as Ke$ha's Timber blared throughout the room. Jason leaned next to Piper and handed her a half full cup. She flashed him a stunning smile, "Thanks Jay!"

An arm hugged around my waist and I turned to meet my eyes with Leo's. "Look who's finally come out of hiding!" he said with a smile.

"Castor," Piper turned around to face the bar. A pudgy bartender with curly black hair walked over to Piper. "Let's get this hottie a drink."

Castor mixed a couple bottles into a small glass and cut in a lime. He handed me the drink with a smile. Before I could thank him, Piper dragged me onto the dance floor. "Okay, there's someone you have to meet," she said with a smile.

She led me through a maze of college kids until we were on the other side of the room. A group of guys were leaning against the dark blue walls of the club. They each had a drink in their hand and a smile on their face.

Piper dragged me up to one with messy black hair and strikingly green eyes. "Percy!" she yelled.

The guy turned away from his friend and faced me and Piper. When he saw Piper, he smiled. When he saw me, he smirked. He held out his hand. "I'm Percy Jackson."

I tentatively shook his hand, noticing how strong of a grip he hand. "Annabeth Chase."

* * *

_**A/N: Okay, so Percabeth in the next chapter? Or should I make you guys wait...?**_

_**Leave me a review!**_

_**OH, and who's POV should next chapter? (actually the chapter after that because I already started the next chapter)**_


	4. Chapter 4 - Rejection in the Air

_**A/N: Okay so I'm just gonna say it. This story has the most views, favorites, and follows I've ever gotten at the beginning of a story. Yet, I had like barely any reviews! usually I have twice the amount of reviews than I do favs and follows combined, but idk no one's reviewing this story. Please do, they make me really happy and want to continue the story. When no one reviews, I feel like no one really likes it.**_

_**ALSOOOO: if you're ever wondering when I'm gonna post or why I'm taken a while or what's going on, I'll keep you all updated if you go to my main page. Thanks so much!**_

_**Sorry this chapter's so late, I had major writers block for another one of my stories (A New Start, you should check it out).**_

_**So. Who's ready for Percabeth!?**_

* * *

_Disclaimer:__ I do not own Percy Jackson, although I do own a bracelet._

* * *

_Summary:_

_This is Percy Jackson's 3rd summer working as a lifeguard on one of his father's cruise ships. Just him and his best friends on a cruise all summer long. Goes to show that when it seems like nothing can get better, a blonde walks into your life._

* * *

_Chapter 4: Rejection in the Air_

* * *

Percy:

The night was getting to that point where you couldn't tell which song was on. One would blend into the other creating an endless party. Bodies grinded against bodies. Shots were taken, drinks were mixed, and everyone was flirting.

Except for me.

I watched as Leo flirted with one of the passengers. Or should I say, as he got rejected by one of the passengers. He, somehow, got her away from her flock of friends to ask her something.

The girl let out a small laugh and flipped her long straight black hair over her shoulder. She turned around and made a face at a group of girls who were all watching her and Leo's conversation. Leo ran his hand nervously through his dark curly hair as the girl shook her head and walked away.

Leo weakly waved to her, but she was already dancing with something else. He sighed and faced me.

I shrugged. _What can ya do?_ I implied

He walked slowly toward me and slumped down in the bar stool to my right. We both turned to face the bar and sighed at the same time. Castor saw us and chuckled. He set two shot glasses down in front of us and poured a clear liquid into both.

"Bottoms up," he ordered and then went to tend a group of passengers.

Both Leo and I tossed the liquid down our throats. The warm feeling surged through my body, yet the ghost of the shitty night so far still lingered in my mind.

"Look at us," Leo mumbled, his eyes glazing over as they locked on the bottles set up behind the bar. Most of the bottles were half full, even the top shelf. "First night and we already got rejected."

I turned my chair toward him and made a sour face. "Hey, who said anything about me getting rejected?!"

He lifted an eyebrow at me. We turned our chairs to watch a group of college kids dance to some random song that I've never heard before. I followed his gaze to see Annabeth dancing with a random passenger with blond hair and the built of an athlete.

I gritted my teeth.

"I didn't get rejected-"

"You said," he told me with a light laugh, "'hey babe, wanna get out of here?' to which she replied, 'aren't you a go getter!' and then she took a sip of your drink and walked away."

I scowled at Leo, trying not look over at Annabeth and her dance partner on the dance floor. "That is not rejection!" I defended. "She's just playing hard to get."

He scoffed and rolled his eyes. "No one knows rejection like Leo, and lemme tell ya: that's rejection."

I took a deep breath and downed another shot (which had just magically appeared - damn, Castor was on a roll tonight). "Watch this, then." The warm alcohol dripped down my throat and filled my whole body with confidence.

I stepped off my bar stool and walked onto the dance floor. One of the girls that was friends with the girl that Leo flirted with was eyeing me down. We made eye contact and she smirked. I averted my gaze and searched for Annabeth's princess curls swaying to the beat.

When I made it all the way to the edge of the mob, I'd just about given up hope. But then a conversation caught my ear.

"What do you think you're doing?"

I turned around to see Annabeth yelling at the blond guy she had been dancing with earlier. She was turned away from me, her hands on her curvy hips that were hugged by a black pencil skirt. She was even hotter when she was angry. I gotta keep that in mind.

The blond guy put his hands up defensively. "Uhm, I thought I was playing out exactly what you were leading on."

She leaned back in amusement. "I was just dancing! That doesn't give you the right to-"

"Annabeth!" Piper came up to the angry (and hot) blond girl and set her hand on her shoulder. Piper looked dazed. Her ivory top was slightly pulled down, revealing her the tip of her pink bra. There was a trickle of sweat coming from her forehead, but she still looked good.

Jason came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. "What's going on?"

But Piper had her eyes fixed on her best friend. "Nothing. Nothing's going on, right Annabeth?"

Annabeth took a deep breath and nodded. She took a step back from the guy she had early been yelling at and backed into me.

"I'm sor- oh, Percy," Annabeth turned around and noticed me. She tucked one of her princess curls behind her ear. Her confidence from when we talked early seemed to falter, leaving a flustered demeanor that I was completely used to. Girls got that way around me, what can I say.

Piper and Jason noticed me too. Jason gave me a head nod. "Oh, yeah dude."

Piper beamed me a smile. "Percy! Where've you been?"

Before I could answer, Annabeth did. "He's been at the bar."

All three of us looked at her. She seemed to panic a little bit as she ran a hand through her hand through her blond curled hair. "Last time I checked, at least," she said.

They obviously didn't want to press it any further (or they just wanted to go back to their dancing) because Piper and Jason said their goodbyes and entered the mob of dancing passengers, leaving Annabeth looking at her shoes and me scratching the back of my neck.

"I'm… I'm sorry for earlier," I said.

She shrugged. "It's nothing compared to the guy that I yelled at."

I bit my lip. "What'd he do? If you don't mind…"

She met my eyes and gave me a sly smile. Look who's bitchy confidence was back. "Buy me a drink." And she turned around and walked toward the bar.

Leo had left the bar, but he wasn't the only one. The drinking part of the night was dying down. The college kids who hadn't already left with their one night stands were stumbling on the dance floor. Besides Castor, we were the only one's there.

"Hey guys," Castor greeted us while wiping his hands on a rag. "What can I get for ya?"

I looked over to Annabeth, letting her respond first. She gave Castor a small smile. "Shirley Temple, please?"

Castor leaned down and pulled a large glass out from a cabinet under the bar. "Hard?" he asked.

Annabeth nodded. "Please. Actually, can you put a little extra in it?"

He nodded and turned around to begin making her drink.

I raised an eyebrow at her. When she noticed my glare she rolled her grey eyes and rested her chin on her palm, her elbow cropped up on the table. "It's been a long day, okay? Don't judge."

I let out a light chuckle. "Oh I'm not, I've been drinking all night."

She shot me a confused glare and turned her stool to face me, crossing her long tan legs. "I can't tell," she admitted.

I glared my eyes at her. "Is that sarcasm?"

She let out a light laugh. "Actually, no. I really can't tell."

I shrugged. "I know how to keep my shit together."

"At least one of us can," she sighed.

Castor turned back around and set a large red drink down in front of Annabeth. She turned her stool back toward the bar and lifted the drink to her lips. "Castor, you're the best."

He smiled and shrugged. "I get that a lot."

Castor left us alone and went to the other side of the bar to clean shot glasses. Annabeth sucked down half of her drink and then set it back down. "I hope you know, you're buying this," she told me.

I let out a light chuckle. "Then get anything you want, I get everything for free."

"They let the lifeguards get free drinks?" she asked, taking another sip of her drink.

"Well, not - wait, how'd you know I was a lifeguard?" I asked with a raised brow.

Instead of getting flustered, like I was expecting, she just casually shrugged and kept her eyes on her drink. The alcohol in her system must be setting in. "I saw you earlier today."

I tried to keep from smiling. She recognized me! "Oh. Well, anyway. Not everyone get's free stuff. Just me," I told her.

Although I was fully prepared for her to ask me why so I could tell her that my dad owned the cruise line (works every time), she didn't seem interested. She finished her drink and waved Castor over. "Hey, can I get a double shot?"

Castor raised a black bushy eyebrow. "Annabeth, you sure?"

She nodded solemnly. "Plus, my drinks are on Seaweed Brain over there," she told him while gesturing to me.

Castor pursed his lips. "Okay, but I'm cutting you off after that."

"Fine," she sighed.

He took out a double shot glass and filled it to the brim with vodka, then left. Annabeth lifted the small glass to her shiny, full lips and tossed it down her throat with ease.

"Seaweed Brain?" I asked

Turning her stool around to face the dance floor, she crossed her tan legs and leaned back against the bar. "Yeah, I decided that's what I'm gonna call you," she informed me with a blank expression.

I mimicked her position and tried to make eye contact with her. "Hm, and why's that?"

"Because you're not the smartest lifeguard in the pool, huh?"

I put my hand on my chest and gasped, pretending I was hurt. "I'm shocked that you would come to such conclusions so quickly."

"Oh please," she sighed exasperatedly, "like you didn't come to conclusions about me?"

I followed her gaze and saw that she was watching the blond guy that she was dancing with early dance with another girl. I tried to ignore it and keep our conversation going. "I have no idea what you're talking about," I denied.

"Oh, I mean the 'hey babe, wanna get out of here?'" she said in a deep mocking tone. "I mean come on, we hadn't even had a conversation yet! You literally introduced yourself and then asked me to hook up with you."

I crossed my arms over my chest. "You're the second person to mock that tonight."

She let out a light laugh that filled the small bar. It was small and beautiful, it made me smile from ear to ear. "Hey, I got you to laugh!"

Annabeth rolled her gorgeous grey eyes at me and smirked. We sat in a comfortable silence for a couple minutes and gazed around the club. Piper and Jason were nowhere to be seen, so I made a mental note to text Jason before going back to our room. You know, make sure it was safe to enter. Most people had left, so there were only about 20 people left. This included the blond guy Annabeth was dancing with earlier and his new girl. I saw Annabeth watch them kiss on the dance floor. Her nose twitched in disgust.

"You okay?" I asked, studying her face carefully.

She shrugged. "It's just getting old."

"What is?" I pressed.

Annabeth finally turned her attention toward me and made eye contact. Her grey eyes reminded me of storm clouds and, in all honestly, made me want to run away. But they were also filled with beauty and strength. I leaned forward to hear what she had to say.

"I don't know," she sighed. "Maybe it was stupid, but I actually kinda liked him," she admitted.

"Who?" I asked. "Blondy over there?"

The corners of her lips curled up slightly and she lowered her gaze, watching her intertwine her fingers in her lap. "Yeah. I don't know, we were talking and he bought me a drink, and he's actually a pretty amazing guy. He asked me to dance and he was so fun and then…"

"He made a move?" I guessed.

She gave me a smirk and met my gaze. "No, what you did was make a move. He… tried to start hooking up with me right there on the dance floor." She cringed slightly at the memory. "Feeling me up and slobbering on my neck. And when I first pushed him off, he kept going. So I kinda…"

"Made a scene in the middle of the dance floor?" I said.

She frowned. "I did not make a scene."

"Eh," I shrugged, "it was kind of a scene."

Her grey eyes rolled at me as she leaned back. "Whatever, you don't get it."

Against all my other instincts, I sat forward, determined to keep the conversation going. "No, no I get it. You're just a flirt."

Her eyes were like daggers, plunging into my head. "Excuse me?"

But for some reason, I had the audacity to chuckle. "Yeah, you let him buy you drinks, you danced with him, and the second he balls up enough to make the first move, you make him look like a jackass."

She widened her eyes in anger. "He made a jackass out of himself, I just exposed it."

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever you say, Wise Girl."

Annabeth just seemed to get angrier and angrier, and as intimidating as she was, I honestly just found entertainment out of it. "Wise Girl?!" she asked.

I shrugged. "Yeah, you gave me a shitty nickname, now it's your turn, wise girl. You always think you're right, you have a rebuttal to everything I say."

She stood up and set her manicured hands on her perfectly curvy hips. "I do not!"

I raised an eyebrow.

"You're infuriating," she huffed and began to storm out of the club.

I followed her and grabbed her hand. "Come on, you're a little tipsy, let me walk you back."

She shook her hand out of my grip. "Like hell." And she stomped away angrily.

But I had to admit, she looked pretty damn good.

* * *

_**A/N: so that was chapter 4! A little shorter than I'd like, but I try to make the rest longer. Someone suggested changing back and forth from Percy's to Annabeth's POV every chapter. I think I might do that! At least, for a little while.**_

_**Anyway, leave me a little review. What do you guys think of this story?**_


	5. Chapter 5 - Admit it

**_A/N: whoop whoop, chapter 5! so this one has Annabeth's and Percy's POV's sooo that happened. It's kind of a filler, but I'm gonna plan out the next couple chapters in the next couple days!_**

**_And I know that they're all a little OOC, but I can't keep everyone completely right. I'm trying to incorperate their important character traits though. So let me know how you think I'm doing._**

**_AND NOWWWW TO ANSWER REVIEWS!_**

**_thefannypack: haha thank you! I think that's a character traits that a lot of AU's forget about._**

**_Lillycooper23: I was thinking about a little bit of Thalico... but idk!_**

**_OnceuponaSuperWhoLockian: yeah, he's a little OOC, but I kinda like it this way_**

**_And to everyone else, thank you!_**

**_Here's chapter 5(:_**

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_Disclaimer:__ I do not own Percy Jackson, although I do own 2 dogs._

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_Summary:_

_This is Percy Jackson's 3rd summer working as a lifeguard on one of his father's cruise ships. Just him and his best friends on a cruise all summer long. Goes to show that when it seems like nothing can get better, a blonde walks into your life._

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_Chapter 4: Admit it_

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Annabeth:

"Oh come on!" Piper laughed. "Admit it!"

I tried to ignore her and took another bite of my chocolate crepe, keeping my eyes on my plate. "There's nothing to admit," I mumbled.

She rolled her eyes (which looked like a sparkling blue color in the morning light) and lifted her glass of guava juice to her lips. "You're so stubborn." She took a big gulp of her juice and set it down next to her empty plate. "Just admit that you were leading Luke on."

We sat outside on one of the balconies on the 3rd level. The 3rd level was strictly food, with every kind of restaurant imaginable. The restaurants toward the front and back of the ship were all serve-your-self kind of places. Toward the sides and center were nicer ones.

We sat at a balcony outside of one of the nicer ones, a french bakery. There were only a couple other tables, so it was quite peaceful. There wasn't a cloud in sight and the blue water sparkled in the sunlight. A perfectly beautiful morning.

But of course, I didn't match the beautiful day outside. After getting drunk twice the night before, my hangover was real. My curly blond hair was piled on top of my head in a bun, loose strands hung in my face. I'm sure I had mascara under my eyes from the night before. My black tank top was slightly falling off my shoulders, but I didn't care. The only thing brightening my morning, besides this breakfast, was my favorite black and purple plaid pj pants.

I shook my head slightly and shook more powdered sugar on my food, not bothering to eat any more. "You sound like Percy…" I mumbled.

She raised an eyebrow and flipped her brown messy braid over her shoulder. She leaned forward and asked, "You talked to Percy last night?"

I nodded and smirked at her. "Yeah, after you, uhm, left with Jason," I suggested.

Piper laughed lightly. "You think so low of me. I was tired, and he walked me back to my place. I didn't even kiss him," she said proudly.

Piper's hair was in it's signature do. A loose, messy side braid with a feather folded in; loose strands outlined her face. She, unlike me, had time to get ready this morning, so she looked great. She wore denim short shorts and a purple v-neck that clung to her perfect curves.

Playfully shoving her shoulder, I smiled at her. "Look at you!"

She put her hands up defensively and laughed, "I know, I know. Anyway, I wanna hear what Percy and you talked about!"

I wrinkled my nose at the memory. "Honestly Pipes, he was kind of a jerk."

Piper looked slightly shocked and sad. "No, Percy's great! What'd he say?"

I took a sip of my coffee and fixed my bun. "He said what you said, that I was leading Luke on."

"You were."

"Okay, but even so, that doesn't give him the right to start groping me on the dance floor. Especially after I said no and he kept going. That's just not cool."

She shrugged. "Yeah, you're right. But come on Annie," I cringed at the annoying nickname while Piper leaned forward. Her blue eyes matched the sparkling water. "It's a cruise. All people want to do here is hook up. He probably thought you did too."

"But still-" I argued.

She interrupted me and put her hands up defensively. "I know, I know, he's still a dick. But Percy-"

"Was also a dick."

"Why?" she asked, looking slightly amused, "because he argued with you?"

"Well no, because-"

"Because he didn't just let you win? He had an opinion on the subject?"

"Well he-"

Her easy going laugh cut me off as she leaned back in her seat and crossed her arms over her chest. "Face it, you just don't like being wrong."

My face contorted into anger, I could feel my cheeks filling with heat. "I wasn't wrong!"

"He said you were leading Luke on, you were flirting! Which you were."

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever."

A silence filled are little table and I half expected Piper to get up and leave; we just fought and she was already done with my breakfast. But she just sat there. One thing Piper was good at: never letting anyone leave angry.

Luckily, I didn't have to survey the situation any further because our waitress came up to our table. She smiled, yet her piercing blue eyes told me that she hated waiting on people. "Good morning girls, can I get you anything else?"

She wore khaki shorts and a blue collared shirt, like most people that worked on the ship. Yet, she totally stuck out. Most people who worked here were beautiful and very clean cut. She was stunning, don't get me wrong, but if her eyes weren't intimidating enough, her spiky black hair made you want to jump overboard before you did anything that might aggravate her. Other than her appearance, the only other thing that made her stand out was the apron with pockets that was tied around her waist.

Piper was studying the waitress too, but Piper had this confused look on her face as she stared at the waitresses name tag. "No…" Piper said as she kept her eyes on the girls shirt. "Nothing more, I'm done."

The waitress didn't seem to notice Piper's tone. She just took Piper's plate and began to walk away.

"Wait!" Piper called her back. The girl turned around. "Thalia Grace… that's your name?"

The girl raised an eyebrow and pointed to her name tag. "Yes."

"Okay, I know this is weird, but does your brother work on this ship?" Piper asked.

Thalia nodded. "Yeah, my twin brother, Jason."

Piper's face lit up, she gestured to me. "We were with him yesterday! Him and Leo and Percy and all of them!"

Thalia narrowed her eyes and studied both of us. Then her face lightened up and she laughed. She pulled a chair over from the empty table behind me and sat down with us, setting back down Piper's empty plate. She looked at Piper and said, "Well. Then you must be Piper, and you," she said to me, "must be Annabeth."

"Yeah…" I said, confused. "How'd you know?"

She rolled her eyes and laughed. "Sparky and Kept Head wouldn't shut up about you two this morning."

"Who?" Piper asked.

"Jason and Percy. You two definitely made an impression," she told us.

Piper blushed but I just groaned. Thalia turned to me. "Oh, and I'm sorry about Percy. He told me everything and I yelled at him. That blond guy was a jerk."

I nodded, remembering Luke's behavior and mine and Percy's conversation "Yeah, thank you."

Just then, another waiter opened the door and walked out onto the balcony and up to our table. He had dark bags under his eyes, but he didn't look tired. His black hair was like Percy's, but shorter. "Thalia," the guy yelled. "What are you doing?"

Without even turning around to see who it was, Thalia groaned and rested her chin on her palm. "Go help customers, Death Breath."

The guy looked just as annoyed as Thalia. "I am. It's called 'doing my job', Thals. You should try it."

"My god, Nico. It's 10:30, I'm on break!" she yelled, turning around to glare at him.

He took his phone out of his pocket to check the time. Then he shuffled his feet embarrassingly. "Oh, sorry." Then he opened the door to re-enter the restaurant.

"And don't call me Thals!" Thalia yelled right before the door closed. Thalia groaned. "That guys so annoying," she mumbled.

I tried to ignore what just happened and change the subject. "So you're on break now, when do you get off?" I asked.

"2 o'clock," she answered.

"Wanna hang out?" Piper asked her.

Thalia nodded. "Sure. Considering the only people you people know on this ship are Percy, Leo, and my asshat of a brother, you guys need some good company."

We laughed. "Thanks," I said.

"Hey no problem," she said standing up. "I only have a 10 minute break, so I gotta go back. But meet me by the pool at 2:30, yeah?"

We nodded. "Sounds like a plan."

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Percy:

How hard was it to look at a map? I mean, seriously. They had them posted everywhere. Plus, every morning the maids put the Poseidon News Paper in every room. The newspaper was my idea from a long time ago. It's a list of what's going on that day on the cruise ship. The time of all the shows, the hours for what restaurants are open, everything. So why was it that every five minutes I had to answer the same questions over and over again from confused passengers?

"M'am, the bathroom is over there," I told a very large lady with a sunhat while pointing behind the bar that Jason was working at.

"That's a bar!" the lady said exasperated.

I sighed, trying to keep my composure and not sound like an annoyed asshole. "Yes, that's correct. But to the right of the bar, do you see that door?" I pointed to a large door that said RESTROOM on the it.

The woman followed my gaze and gasped. "Oh! Oh yes! Thank you, boy!" and she hurried off to the bathroom. I shook my head and watched the lady wobble into the room.

"Remind me to never use that bathroom again," a familiar voice said from behind me.

When I realized that I instinctively checked my pockets to make sure my wallet was still there, I smiled because I knew who it was. "Connor, after that lady's done with it, I don't think it'll be possible to ever use that bathroom again," I said turning around. Connor's dark blond hair was messy, going in all different directions. He wore blue swim trunks and a tourist-y looking shirt, a flower necklace hung around his neck. I frowned. "Conn, we won't be in Hawaii for 4 more days."

He shrugged. "What's wrong with getting a head start?"

I chuckled and shook my head. I began to walk back to my lifeguard tower, knowing that Connor would follow. "So what's up? You never go to the pool when you're off work."

As expected, Connor was right behind me. "I didn't know what else to do. Plus, might as well check out the girls. One great thing about working on a cruise? Every month, we get a new shipment of hotties."

I laughed and made my way up to my chair. It wasn't too tall, only about 6 feet, so I could still talk to Connor. "You're a pig, you know that?"

"Oh ha ha," he said sarcastically, "and that's coming from you?"

I raised a brow. "What're you talking about, Stoll?"

Connor gave me a mischievous smirk. "Oh, don't try and bullshit me. I heard your attempt to hit on Jason's girl's friend. What's her name again?"

I tried to keep my blood from boiling at the thought of her. "Annabeth," I seethed.

Connor had the audacity to laugh. "Oh yeah, good luck with her. So have you seen my brother anywhere?" he asked.

I laughed, remembering my talk with Travis this morning at breakfast. "Nope," I replied, popping the 'p.' "But I'm assuming he's down at the trivia center."

"By the coffee shop of level 2?" Connor asked.

"Yeah," I answered.

"Okay, I'm gonna go find him. Later Jackson!" and he hurried off toward the elevator.

Once he was gone, I let out a light chuckle. I knew what he would find when he got there; his brother flirting with the new activities director. He met her yesterday during the employee meeting before the passengers arrived. She seemed tough, so I had no idea how this was gonna play out. All I knew about her was that she was very pretty, she was about my age, and her name was Katherine. At least, that's what Travis told me this morning during breakfast.

It was a beautiful day. The sun glistened overhead, not a cloud in sight. Even though there was a nice pool right in front of me, I couldn't deny the urge to jump into the ocean. The water looked so peaceful, so angelic. I wanted to just swim beside the ship until we arrived on the sandy beaches of Hawaii. But no, I had a job to do.

I watched as a group of younger boys splashed each other in the deep end. A small boy with bleached blond hair jumped out and ran across the pool deck.

I rolled my eyes and lifted my whistle to my lips. After blowing it once, I pulled out my megaphone. "Hey, come on. No running on the pool deck." The kid stopped and nodded, embarrassed, and jumped into the water.

The day was going by slowly. No one had almost drowned yet (fingers crossed) so I was still bone dry. I could feel a sunburn coming on, so I applied a little bit of sunscreen to my tan face and shoulders.

For some reason, Annabeth came to my mind. She was so mad at me yesterday, it was kind of hot. Yet, I'll admit, I was kind of a dick. She was right, the asshole she was dancing with had no right to grope her on the dancefloor. But still, she was stubborn. She couldn't even admit she was flirting with him.

I mean, it's a cruise for gods sake, all the passengers are looking to hook up. My friends and I usually just sat back and laughed about it (and occasionally got lucky).

But Annabeth was… different. At first, everything about her screamed "easy California girl just looking for a good time." But then she looked at you with her storm grey eyes and you felt like you were gonna disintegrate right then and there.

Her confidence, at first, seems like a mask that most girls use. Then once you get a drink in them, they're stumbling all over you.

But not her.

I could sit and argue with her at the bar for hours, days even, if she'd let me. But no. Once she realized that I was gonna keep arguing back, she just left. Like I wasn't worth her words.

And that kind of pissed me off.

I mean, I was totally worth it! My dad owned the ship for gods sake! But she didn't know that… I felt like even if she knew, that wouldn't change a thing. For someone with such strong opinions on everything, it didn't seem like she'd ever really had a full argument. Like whenever she said something, people just nodded and went along with it.

Well guess what, she totally was a flirt. Yeah, when she told him to get off of her, he should have backed off. But everything leading up to that?

Flirt.

My thoughts were interrupted when Thalia leaned up against my lifeguard tower and punched my knee. "Ouch," I winced. "Ya know, a small tap or a 'hey!' would suffice."

"Yeah," she said lightly, yet her dark blue eyes pierced into me like usual. "But that'd be too boring."

I rolled my eyes. Thalia and I go way back. Like, to birth, back. Actually, we were cousins. My dad and her and Jason's dad are brothers. But after their mom died, their dad and my dad got in a huge fight. I only see Jason and Thalia during the summer when we all work on the ship. "So," I told her, "if you just got off work, shouldn't you be flirting with Nico somewhere?"

She hit my knee again. "Actually no, kelp head. I'm waiting for Piper and Annabeth."

I sat up a little straighter at the sound of Annabeth's name, but I tried not to show it. "Oh? You met them?"

She let out a light laugh and nodded. "Yeah, I waited their table this morning. They're supposed to meet me by the pool at 2:30." Then she gave me a sly smile. "You know, Annabeth's really pretty. Sucks that you pissed her off so much."

Now that bothered me. Since Thalia could usually see right through me, I averted my gaze down to my watch. 2:36. When I looked back up, Thalia was walking away. She waved without looking back and yelled, "Found 'um."

I looked over to where she was walking to see an excited Piper wearing denim shorts and a purple v-neck, her hair in a loose braid. But the real sight was the girl walking slowly behind Piper. Annabeth's blond hair fell onto her shoulders and down her back in waves. She wore small black shorts, a grey tank top with a sketch of an owl on it, and brown flip flops. She looked absolutely stunning.

When my eyes finally made their way back up to her face, our eyes locked. Her grey gaze made me almost fall out of my chair, but somehow I held my stare. I mustered up a smirk and a wink. She rolled her eyes and turned around to follow Thalia and Piper up a set of stairs that led to the running track and mini golf course.

My watch read 2:39. Only 1 hour and 21 minutes until I got off work.

I slumped down into my seat and thought that next time I talked to Annabeth, I wouldn't let her stomp away.

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_**A/N: are they too OOC? I need feedback yo. we got Percabeth (duh) and some Jasper.**_

_**What couple do you guys want as well?**_

_**1. Thalico**_

_**2. Caleo**_

_**3. Tratie**_

_**Thank you all for reading! You're all partiers.**  
_


	6. Author's Note 1

**_YES I AM CONTINUING THE STORY, DON'T FREAK, IT'S JUST AN AUTHOR'S NOTE. PLEASE READ IT._**

**_So I know this isn't the chapter you all were expecting, but listen up._**

_Okay so a lot of people have been complaining about the whole Luke/Annabeth thing._

_People say that everyone's being mean to Annabeth, Percy was a dick about it, Luke was raping her, he had no right blah blah blah._

_OKAY._

_I thought I made it very clear that Annabeth WAS flirting with Luke and that she WAS leading him on. She was so pissed about it because she was being stubborn because everyone was arguing with her. Annabeth is very strong willed and doesn't like to be told that she's wrong. it's called a **character trait.**_

_idk if any of you have been on a cruise, but everyone is looking to hook up with people. Luke was just trying to hook up with her, but Annabeth actually liked him._

_The part that made Luke an asshole was that after Annabeth first said "no", he kept trying._

_People have also been complaining about the drinking: guys! They're all 19, 20, or 21. It's a cruise. Breathe. It was the first night of the cruise, of course they all partied. They won't be drinking all the time, okay breathe._

**_Also,_**_ they'll all start being nicer, don't worry.__**Percy wasn't arguing with her to be a dick, he was arguing with her because it made her mad and (and he stated earlier) he thought she was hot when she was mad.**__ He wasn't trying to be a dick, so don't be mad at Percy._

_Bottom line: if you don't like it, don't read it._


	7. Chapter 6 - I Don't Swim

**_A/N: Yay so here's chapter 6! Sorry it took so long, I was trying to plan some things out. First I'm gonna answer some reviews!_**

**_Jedi1: The way characters in my story think does not correlate with my opinions. I hope my author's note answered some of your thoughts._**

**_Laura1221: I'm not gonna do Thaluke, I'm sorry!_**

**_thefannypack: yeah no Percy/Calypso for sure. they probably won't even really meet._**

**_hazel (guest): I update when I can and I always update weekly, usually twice a week._**

**_Tayter-tot1029: thank you so much! I'm happy you like it!_**

**_belated-eloquence: I'm sorry, I'm not a sailor. I don't know much about ships. I do research for my characters, but I really don't have time to research on ship terms either. Same with college majoring and all that. I'm sorry if it bothers you, but I just can't find the time to fix it or research it. I hope you keep reading, but if not, i understand._****_  
_**

**_to all the people that agreed with my authors note, haha thank you. I'm sorry if it annoyed some of you, but I had to say it. So to make up for an annoying authors note, here's a long chapter 6._**

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_Disclaimer__: I do not own Percy Jackson, although I do own deodorant._

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_Summary:_

_This is Percy Jackson's 3rd summer working as a lifeguard on one of his father's cruise ships. Just him and his best friends on a cruise all summer long. Goes to show that when it seems like nothing can get better, a blonde walks into your life._

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_Chapter 6: I Don't Swim_

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Annabeth:

Out of all the places Thalia showed us on the ship, I think my favorite was still the first place we went.

The smell of the sea breeze was amazing whenever you were outside while on the ship, of course, but there was something special about the bow. By the track, at one of the highest parts of the ship, there was a couple steps that lead down to a small area at the very front of the ship. Where the only thing separating me and the vast ocean was a thin glass wall that went up to my waist.

I was never one for swimming, but standing there with the wind on my cheeks and the endless ocean in front of me, I couldn't help but to wonder what would happen if I just jumped in. It had been on my mind throughout Thalia's entire tour of the ship.

But once we finished and decided to settle down at Lounge #4 on level 2 for some trivia, I tried to push that thought out of my mind; ignoring the feeling of miles and miles of ocean all around me.

The lounge was about as comfortable as you could imagine. There were about 7 different sets of the same large couch and matching coffee table in the small room. They all faced the front, which had a bar and a small stage with a table and a chair on it.

A girl, who must have been about my age, sat on the chair. She had chocolate brown skin and a warm smile. Her dark hair was pulled back in a curly bundle that must have meant to be a ponytail. She wore what most employee's wore when they were working on the ship; a blue _Poseidon Cruise Line_ polo and khaki shorts. Yet unlike most employee's at any establishment, she looked happy to be there. Like, actually genuinely happy.

Piper, Thalia, and I took our seats on one of the couches on the far right. The girl on the stage waved toward us and Thalia gave her a helpful thumbs up. "That's Hazel," Thalia explained. "This's her second summer working on the ship, but her first time working any activities."

"Is that a good thing?" I asked, crossing my legs and getting more comfortable on the couch.

Thalia nodded. "Yeah, working the activities is one of the best jobs on the ship. The worst is being a maid, which is what she was last summer."

"What about your job?" Piper asked.

"Eh," Thalia shrugged, "it passes the time." Then she stood up, ending the conversation. She pointed to the bar. "I'm gonna go get some water. You guys want anything?"

"Yeah," I answered, adjusting my black shorts. "Can I have an iced tea?"

"Same, thanks Thalia!" Piper said.

Thalia smiled and walked over toward the front of the room.

Piper and I sat in silence, which wasn't unusual for us. We've been (practically) sisters for almost 10 years. She never had to ask me how I was feeling because she already knew.

I watched Thalia walk over to the bar and order some water and two iced teas. I noticed her struggling to carry all three, so I stood up. "I'm gonna go help," I told Piper.

She nodded and I walked over.

"Seriously, you have nothing to worry about," Thalia told Hazel.

Hazel leaned up against the bar and sighed. "I know, but it's just nerve racking."

I grabbed an iced tea off the bar and smiled at Hazel. "Hi, you're Hazel, right?"

The girl's warm brown eyes brightened as she nodded and shook my hand. She glared at Thalia. "You've been talking 'bout me, I see?" Hazel said with a raised brow.

Thalia laughed and took a sip of her water. "What can I say, I've missed ya Haz!"

Hazel rolled her eyes and turned back to me. "Well, Thalia was rude enough not to tell me who you guys are," she said embarrassingly.

"I'm Annabeth," I said, shuffling my feet. I don't know why, but I felt so weird meeting all the people that worked on the ship. Don't passengers make friends with passengers? Pipes and I have been on plenty of ships and we never really hang out with the employee's. Maybe it's because usually people view us as stuck up because of Piper's dad, when truthfully, we're not stuck up at all. Actually, I found it refreshing to hang out with the employee's (or as Tristan would call them, the help).

"Are you guys here for the trivia or the drinks?" Hazel asked with a joking smile.

"The trivia of course!" I answered with a laugh.

"Piper over there," Thalia pointed to the couch where Piper sat, playing with the hem of her shirt, "said that Annabeth's amazing at trivia!"

Hazel raised an eyebrow, impressed. "Well, we'll see how ya do. Frank's crazy good too." She pointed behind me. I turned to see a large and muscular half asian guy sitting on one of the couches across the room.

"Are you guys dating yet?" Thalia asked blatantly.

Hazel's dark cheeks blushed lightly. "I think so…"

"What does 'I think so' mean?" I asked, taking another sip of my iced tea.

She nervously fixed her shirt and shrugged, not meeting their eyes. "Well… we went on a date… or two… But nothing's officially so I don't know."

Thalia knudged Hazel's shoulder. "Hey, it's a start. It's 4, come on time to start trivia."

Hazel looked at the clock and nodded, taking a deep breath. She plastered on a smile and walked onto the stage. Thalia and I took our seats with Piper on the couch.

Halfway through the trivia game, I was sure we were winning. The theme for this round of the game was Greek Mythology, and Piper was killing it. When it came to trivia, most people relied on me; but not this round. A couple years ago, Piper's dad played a part in a movie about ancient Greece; Piper helped him study up on the roll.

"Alright guys, who's ready for number 12?" Hazel asked. There was a couple "yeah"'s and "whoop"'s from the small crowd. "In mythology, it was known that sometimes the gods would come down to earth and, erm, hook up with mortals. They'd have children known as 'demigods.' One of the most famous demigods is Perseus, son of a princess and a god. Who's the god?"

Piper scuffed and tossed her hair over her shoulder, writing down the answer. She looked up at Annabeth and smiled. "Baby stuff."

I watched as a girl walked in. She looked to be about 20, like all of the people I've met, but she stuck out. Her strawberry blond hair was pulled back in a tight pony tail, a look of determination on her face. She worse the usual _Poseidon Cruise Line_ white polo but she was also wearing a black pencil skirt and clutching a clip board. She watched Hazel and smiled. Hazel noticed her and straightened up, but the girl gave Hazel a warm smile. Hazel loosened up.

The girl walked deeper in the room, her eyes scanning the couches. When her eyes met ours, she lightened up. She quickly walked over to us and sat down by Thalia.

"Hey, Thals," she said with a sigh. The girl looked over at Piper and I and held her hand out. "I'm Katie."

We introduced ourselves kindly, but Katie seemed a bit distracted. "Katie, are you alright?" Thalia asked.

Katie let out a deep breath and slumped into the couch. "I don't know, it's been weird."

"Makes sense," Thalia shrugged, "it's your first job on this ship. This ship is… different."

Katie nodded in agreement, then shook her head and sat up. "No, there's this guy that I'm seeing everywhere. At first, I thought I was going crazy, but I think he's following me. I see him everywhere."

We all glared at her. I leaned in closer, enthralled in what she had to say. "What'd he look like?" I asked.

She stared at the door and scrunched her eyebrows. "Like them…" she said timidly.

I turned around and saw two guys that looked _insanely_ alike. Dark, sandy blond hair, upturned noses, and mischievous smiles. They scanned the surrounding couches until one of them saw ours. One of the guys waved at Thalia and winked at Katie. The other guy saw Frank sitting by himself and elbowed his (must have been) twin. Frank waved them over, and the two look-a-likes joined him.

"Oh my god," Katie muttered, "there's two of them."

Thalia busted out laughing and leaned back in the couch. "That's why you thought you saw them everywhere, they're brothers!"

"Well they - maybe one of them, maybe both, I don't know - winks at me all the time," Katie informed them while nervously tugging on her skirt.

Thalia laughed. "Well the one that just winked at you was Travis, which is weird because usually Connor is the flirt. But the Stoll brothers are… an acquired taste."

I hadn't even noticed that trivia was continuing, but apparently, it was over. "Okay so that was the last question! Turn in your forms at the front, get a drink, and we'll let you know the results in just a minute!" Hazel said to the crowd.

Piper got up and turned in her form. When she sat back down on the couch, she had a smug grin on her face. "Easy peasy."

"How do you know so much about Greek mythology?" Thalia asked. "It's super random."

If anyone else was watching Piper at this moment, they would have thought that she was casual and nonchalant. But the way she tugged at the end of her braid and crossed her long legs, I knew she was nervous. "Oh, just a mythology buff."

She was not a mythology buff.

But luckily, Thalia and Katie just shrugged it off.

A shirley temple later, Hazel stood on the center of the stage with a small piece of paper in her hand. "Alright, so I tallied it up and we have a winner! Piper McLean!"

Piper laughed and stood up while the people in the lounge clapped lightly.

"Piper come get your prize!" Hazel said.

Piper walked on the stage and Hazel handed her something.

Fifteen minutes later, the lounge had almost cleared out. Hazel, Frank, the Stolls, Thalia, Katie, Piper and I were all laughing on the couch. Travis was next to Katie (slowly scooting closer and closer), Hazel sat on Franks lap, and Connor was trying to convince everyone to drink. "No, no," Piper laughed. "Annabeth is cut off for a couple days."

I shrugged and lifted my iced tea to my lips. "Yeah sorry Connor, I'm sticking to iced tea today."

He sighed with a small smile playing on his lips. "Well, that's-"

At the same time, a bunch of different ringtones went off. Everyone but Katie and I took their phones out of their pocket and read whatever message was popped up. Piper smiled. "We going?"

They all nodded and stood up. "Wait," Katie said, "what's happening?"

"Jason sent out a huge group text, we're all meeting at the pool," Piper said, stuffing her phone into her purse.

Katie stood up and adjusted her skirt. "Why didn't I get it?"

Thalia frowned. "I don't think Jason knows you."

Katie frowned back. "Oh yeah."

Thalia bumped her hip against Katie's and smiled. "Hey, you can still come along."

Travis scratched the back of his neck and tried not to meet her eyes. "Yeah, yeah. You should, uhm, yeah."

Thalia laughed and lightly smacked his cheek twice. "Oh, Trav. You're just a special guy."

They all started talking and walking out of the lounge, Piper and I following close behind. "Oh," Piper said, "by the way, Jason texted me separately to tell me to tell you that you're invited too. He just doesn't have your number."

Before I could answer, Thalia turned around to face us. "Hey guys, go put your bathing suits on and meet us by the pool, yeah?"

We nodded and everyone went their separate ways. I followed Piper into the elevator. It was quiet for a moment before Piper leaned against the wall. "You sure you wanna go?" she asked.

I nodded simply, but she knew better.

"I know you don't like going in the pool that much, but maybe you can just hang out in the jacuzzi," she suggested.

I shrugged. "I don't know, but maybe I'll put my bikini on under my clothes and go out there."

Piper smiled widely and hugged me as the elevator opened. "It'll be fun, I swear!"

The elevator door dinged open and Piper dragged me down the hall.

* * *

Percy:

There's nothing better than falling onto your bed after a long day at work. It's a fact. But it can always be made better if said job and bed are both on a cruise ship. So in simple terms, I was pretty satisfied.

I was tossing my whistle, wallet, and phone on the table by my bed when something caught my eye; the large book that I found by the pool yesterday.

I opened it up and brought it my lap as I sat on my bed. After flipping through all the pages, I noticed a couple things. It was almost finished, only 38 puzzles left. The puzzles all ranged from crosswords to sudoku. The only writing in the book besides the completed puzzles was a name written neatly on the title page. Frederick. Yet the handwriting that the name was written in was different than the handwriting the puzzles were in.

I shook my head and set the book down, thinking that I really needed to take a shower. The hot water massaged my muscles and washed away any left over annoyed thoughts from working. I got out of the shower and wrapped a white _Poseidon Cruise Line_ towel around my waist.

I thought about my birth name, Percy Poseidon. That just sounded strange. I don't regret taking my mom's name, Jackson, at all. Percy Jackson just sounded… more casual.

Standing in front of the mirror, I noticed that my hair was wet and sticking up in all directions. What else was new. I straightened it out with my fingers and shook it out. That's better. Not surprisingly, I hadn't gotten sunburned at all after sitting hours in the hot sun. For some reason, I never did. I always just got a little tanner.

I dug through my bag and found dark wash jeans and a simple light blue t-shirt. I brushed my teeth, washed my face, and grabbed a pack of gum, my wallet, and my phone off the table. Right as I put my phone in my pocket, it vibrated. I pulled it out and saw Jason's name lit up on my phone. Oh god, not another group chat.

**Hey guys! If you're off work right now, let's meet by the pool.**

Simple and to the point. The last thing I wanted to do was go back to that pool, but I was hoping that a lot of my friends that I hadn't seen yet would be there. Tossing a piece of gum in my mouth, I walked out of my room and closed the door behind me.

* * *

"Percy!" Silena hopped off her boyfriends lap and jogged over to me. Normally, I would totally be checking her out. Her wet black hair clung to her bare back as she made her way toward me in a hot pink bikini. But with Beck watching me carefully, I just hugged her one handed and smiled.

"Hey Sel," I said. I waved to Beck in the jacuzzi. "Hey Beckendorf."

He nodded and smiled. "Nice to see ya, Jackson."

"Percy!" Hazel's face lit up, but unlike Silena, she stayed on her boyfriends lap in the jacuzzi. I walked over and sat on a chair next to it.

"Dude, you're not swimming?" Frank asked with a frown. He sat in the bubbling water holding his girlfriend/girl he's dating on his lap. Over the year, Frank had really toned out. His usual flabby chest was covered in muscles and pecks. His new body really gave him a new surge of confidence that oozed out with every word he said. Not like an annoying cocky confidence, but a comfortable one. Like he was finally okay with his own skin. It was nice to see.

Hazel seemed extremely comfortable on his lap as she clung to his body showing off her black triangle bikini. Usually, Hazel was really reserved; but Frank brought out a different Hazel that was rare to see. Not a slutty one, but a happier, more comfortable one.

I shook my head. "Nah, I've been by this damn pool all day. I just came to see you guys."

"Oh, Perce, you softy."

I turned toward the huge pool to the right of the jacuzzi I was sitting by to see Clarisse smiling at me from the pool. She sat on Will Solace's shoulders who was smiling back up at me as well. Will looked the same as usual. Long blond hair, tanned skin, and a bright white smile. Clarisse looked stronger (surprise, surprise), with her hair up in a messy bun and no evidence of makeup on her face. She wore a light purple bikini that Silena (no doubt) had made her buy.

I gave them a sappy smile. "Oh, I just love you guys so much."

Clarisse opened her mouth to say something, but she was slammed into the water before she could. When she fell, it revealed a triumphant Katie fist pumping the air with a wide smile on her face. She sat on Travis's shoulders who looked just as happy as her. Katie also had her hair up in a bun, but she was wearing a green halter top bikini. Clarisse emerged from the water, her hair out of it's bun, wet, and falling off on her shoulders. She frowned. "Seriously?!"

"Chicken fight!" Travis yelled.

Clarisse raised a brow in amusement. "Oh you have no idea what you just got yourself into. It's on!"

I rolled my eyes and walked towards the other side of the pool where Jake Mason, Jason, and Connor were in the pool, leaning on the side and taking to Leo who was sitting on his small lifeguard tower.

"Leo, we have some swimmers about to kill each other over chicken fights," I said with a smirk.

Before Leo saw me, a look of worry spread over his face. Then he saw who was playing on the other side of the pool and he saw me leaning against his lifeguard tower.. "Eh," he said casually, "I'm only worried about that new activities director because Clarisse is gonna kill her." He shook his head solemnly. "Poor new hot chick."

"Hot or not," Connor said, "it seems like Travis is trying to get her."

Leo shrugged. "I wasn't even gonna try."

"Percy, you're not swimming?" Jake asked as he noticed my jeans.

"Eh," I shrugged, "I've been by the pool all day. I'm not feeling it." I took a step back. "I'm gonna get something to drink. You guys want anything?"

They shook their head and went back to their conversation.

The little bar by the pool, the one Jason worked at, now had no one at it but the bartender. Butch smiled at me and tossed his rag onto his shoulder. His white _Poseidon Cruise Line_ polo covered half of his rainbow tattoo. People gave him a lot of shit for it, but he once told me that it reminded him of his mom. He never explained it any further, but I respected the guy for it. "Hey Perce, what can I get for ya?" he asked casually.

I sat at one of the bar stools and nodded, folding my hands on the bar. "Yeah, can I just get a water?"

Butch nodded and filled a glass up with ice and water. I grabbed the glass and thanked him, then walked back toward the jacuzzi. This time there was another couple joining the chicken fights. The girl of the new pair smiled when I walked up. "I see, lame-o. Too cool to join in on the fun?"

I rolled my eyes. "Insulting me won't make you feel better Piper," I said with a smile. "So, where's your blond friend?"

Jason laughed from under Piper. "Oh, don't pretend you don't remember her name."

"Fine," I said with a smirk, "where's Annabeth?"

Piper grinned like she'd been waiting for me to ask all day. A sly smile played on her lips. "She went up to the track, I think," she said nodding to the staircase behind the bar that lead up to a higher part of the ship. A part I knew very well.

I winked and smiled at the couple. They laughed loudly before Clarisse and Will snuck up and shoved Piper into the water. "Welcome aboard!" Clarisse said with a smug smile.

I shook my head and laughed as I finished my water and walked toward the bar. I thanked Butch and set my glass down, starting on the stairs. The staircase was short, but steep. When I got to the top, I was hit with the familiar and amazing feel of the ocean breeze. It surged through me and gave me a new type of confidence. Right by the start of the track, there was a sign that read "5 times around the track = 1 mile."

I smiled at no one and made my way around the track looking for the blonde passenger. I got to the part of the track that was at the bow of the ship and saw a couple familiar steps down. Maybe…

She held onto the glass railing and seemed to be looking down at the water. She was barefoot and leaning on her toes. Her blond hair cascaded down her back in waves. She seemed to be wearing what she had been wearing when I saw her earlier. Her black shorts were riding up her butt a little bit, making me bit my lip. My gaze went up her back and onto her tan shoulders.

Annabeth must have felt a presence behind her, because she sighed. "Piper, you know I don't like pools." I didn't answer. Instead I just studied her long legs and stuffed my hands into my jean pockets. She sighed again. "Is Percy there yet? she asked.

"No," I answered.

She spun around quickly, her blonde hair blowing in the wind. "Shit," she said.

I let out a small chuckle. "I didn't mean to scare you."

Her grey eyes glared at me and she bit her lip, then turned back toward the ocean. "You here to apologize?" I couldn't tell what emotions were behind her voice. I was expecting annoyance, and trust me, there was plenty of that there. But there was also something else, something I couldn't place.

"The only guy who should be apologizing to you is Luke for continuing to kiss you when you told him to back off," I said simply, joining her on the railing and staring out to the sea.

"And you," she said, her voice laced with anger, "for calling me a flirt."

I smirked and shook my head. If this is a game, she just threw the first pitch. "Well, you were flirting with him."

"But that doesn't mean-"

"We're you flirting with him or weren't you?" I interrupted.

She groaned and ran a hand threw her hair. "How'd you find me up here?" she asked, changing the subject.

"Piper," I stated simply. "Why'd you ask if I was at the pool?"

She faced me, her grey eyes piercing through me, but I still held my confidence. "What are you talking about?" she asked.

"When I found you up here, you thought I was Piper and you asked if Percy was there yet."

"Yeah," she said nervously. She tried to come off as secure and confident; tried to put a barrier between us. But there was no way she would leave this deck without dropping her act. I knew it was an act, she wasn't fooling me. "Because you're annoying and I knew Jason would invite you."

I rolled my eyes and faced the ocean again. "Lame excuse."

She opened her mouth to argue back but I cut her off. "So why don't you like pools?" I asked. "And before you pretend that you don't know what I'm talking about, I mean when I first got up here you said, 'Piper you know I don't-'"

"I know what I said," she said annoyed.

"Well, then answer the question."

She stared at me, taken back by my forwardness. I could tell that she wasn't used to people being so forward with her, and I could see why they weren't. She was pretty intimidating. But come on, she was just a girl. I held our gaze, trying not to break contact so she could answer my question. "I just don't, okay?" she said with a huff. "So what about you? Why aren't you splashing around in the pool, Mr. Lifeguard?"

"For just that reason," I said. "I'm the lifeguard, I'm by the pool too often. I'd rather be in the ocean. Plus, this is one of my favorite places on the ship, you have good taste."

I watched her stare out toward the sea. Her grey eyes glistened as the sun was preparing to set. She payed me no attention, so she couldn't see my eyes falter toward her chest and then back up at her eyes. "Mine too," she whispered.

Annabeth seemed to be lost in the push and pull of the water. "It's a trip, huh?" I said. "How you can be so far out in the ocean, so far away from everything, yet it all seems so clear?"

I thought we were going to start a deep conversation, but she snapped out of it and smirked at me. "And what are you trying to run away from?"

If I opened up something small about myself, then maybe she would knock down one of her barriers between us and drop the whole confident act. I ignored her smirk and tone. "I guess my name. But I'm doing a pretty shitty job."

She was taken back by my answer, which didn't surprise me. "Your name?" she asked confused.

"Yeah, if I was trying to run away from my dad's name, I guess I wouldn't be working on his ship, right?" I tried to suppress my smile. I knew what I was saying was interesting her.

"Your dad's the captain?" she asked.

I shook my head and held my hand out to shake hers. "Hey, I'm Percy Poseidon, but most people call me Percy Jackson."

* * *

**_The results are in!_**

**_1. Thalico - 5_**

**_2. Caleo - 11_**

**_3. Tratie - 15_**

**_With these, I also got a couple reviews specifically asking for no Thalico. So I'm not gonna have them romantically at all, but I'm gonna have them bicker because I find it entertaining._**

**_I've already set up Tratie, and honestly, I was already planning on adding it. But I wasn't expecting it to win! A lot of people really want Tratie._**

**_And Caleo, I'm adding! I have a great idea for it, but you're all gonna have to wait a couple more chapters... hehe._**

**_But all together, there will for sure be the most Tratie._**


	8. Chapter 7 - Just Me and the Sunset

**_A/N: Hey guys I'm back! This is a shorter chapter because I didn't have that much written and I knew you guys really _****_wanted to update so yay! But next chapter will be way longer, don't worry._**

**_Sorry it took so long, I won't do it again! Idk if any of you are interested, but I've just had a really hard week. But I won't bore you with it, so let's just get to the reviews!_**

**_kransi: the whole _****_next chapter will have to do with Malcolm, so not to worry. I want to mend their relationship._**

_**D3M1G0D54KUR4**_**_: haha yeah they're not yelling everytime I put a '!' It's more just saying it more enthusiastically or loudly._**

**_lilycooper23: maybe thaluke... idk!_**

**_cabless cutie: THANK YOU. I feel like people hate when fics add in their character flaws. But I don't care if people don't like it cause that's how i'm writing it so yay._**

**_And that's that, now on with the story!_**

* * *

_Disclaimer__: I do not own Percy Jackson, nor much of a personality._

* * *

_Summary__:_

_This is Percy Jackson's 3rd summer working as a lifeguard on one of his father's cruise ships. Just him and his best friends on a cruise all summer long. Goes to show that when it seems like nothing can get better, a blonde walks into your life._

* * *

_Previously:_

_I thought we were going to start a deep conversation, but she snapped out of it and smirked at me. "And what are you trying to run away from?"_

_If I opened up something small about myself, then maybe she would knock down one of her barriers between us and drop the whole confident act. I ignored her smirk and tone. "I guess my name. But I'm doing a pretty shitty job."_

_She was taken back by my answer, which didn't surprise me. "Your name?" she asked confused._

_"Yeah, if I was trying to run away from my dad's name, I guess I wouldn't be working on his ship, right?" I tried to suppress my smile. I knew what I was saying was interesting her._

_"Your dad's the captain?" she asked._

_I shook my head and held my hand out to shake hers. "Hey, I'm Percy Poseidon, but most people call me Percy Jackson."_

* * *

_Chapter 7: Just Me and the Sunset_

* * *

Annabeth:

What was he trying to do, impress me? I had to try and suppress a chuckle before a thought occurred to me. What if he's playing games? The classic oh, woe is me little rich boy card. I'd dealt with that before. Dylan O'Bryan (A/N I'm obsessed with him okay don't judge) tried that when he starred in a classic father/son film with Tristan.

Well, I wouldn't fall for it.

But maybe Percy actually did feel down and really needed someone to talk too.

My adopted dad is one of the most famous actors of his generation. My own dad went crazy before we got forcefully taken away from our home. If anyone knew what is was like to run away from your name, I did.

Plus, growing up with a lot of wealth kind of sucks, although it was better than the alternative, so I knew the feeling.

Sometimes you just need to get away from it all.

But I wasn't about to fall in that easily. I was smarter than that.

"You're right," I sighed, purposefully taunting him by wrapping a blond strand of hair around my finger.

"Hm?" he asked. I could feel his eyes on me, yet I kept mine locked on the view of the ocean.

"This is a pretty shitty place to run away."

He shrugged casually and leaned more onto the railing. His shaggy black hair wasn't long enough to fall over his eyes, but it brushed against his forehead. His green eyes stared with longing out into the ocean. He didn't answer me, he seemed to be lost at sea.

"Do you swim?" I asked without thinking.

He nodded, but then stopped and shook his head. "I mean, I used to. I haven't since I went to college." He said it so solemnly, like he was reminiscing on old memories. I suddenly felt the urge to ask for his whole life story. Did he swim in high school? What happened to make him stop? What college did he go to? How long had he worked on one of his father's ships?

But I held my tongue. As interested as I was, I didn't want to be. But why not? I mean, he was cute. Hot, even. Stunning actually… So why didn't I go for it? I'm not a slut, but what's wrong with a little hook up? I was on vacation.

But one look into his green eyes that were locked on the water, and I knew I couldn't go through with it. His usually cocky smirk that was tattooed on his face the previous night was long gone. In it's place was a vacant (remorseful maybe?) stare. He wasn't the hook up type. As much as he pretended to be a lot of the time, he wasn't.

I don't know how long we stood there, but I was lost in him. The way his shoulders hunched over as he leaned on the railing. His lean muscles didn't strain, as he looked extremely comfortable.

I was thinking of something to say when he shook his head slightly, as if to shake out his thoughts, and he turned to me. His usual smirk hiding behind an interested glint. "So what about you, wise girl? What are you running from?"

Suddenly, Malcolm came to my mind. I hadn't seen him since last night. A tumor of guilt welted in the pit of my stomach. My older brother. The one who protected me ever since my mom died. I had traded in our life for one with Piper and Tristan. I was only 8, what was I supposed to do? But Malcolm wasn't angry at me, even though he had every right to be. A part of me kind of wished he was. That way, I could have an excuse to feel terrible. But instead, Malcolm just seemed happy for me. Happy that his little sister didn't have to go through the same hell he did.

But I wasn't about to tell Percy that.

"Running?" I forced a smirk. "I don't run from anything."

He nodded, a small smile playing on his lips. He didn't believe me. "Okay," he said simply. "You excited to land in Hawaii?"

Did… did he just change the subject? My first thought was, good. I don't want him to know anyway. But a small part of me wanted to tell him everything. Then have him tell me that it wasn't my fault. But instead, I just said, "Yeah, I love Hawaii."

He watched my face carefully, his small gorgeous smile still there. "You've been?"

I nodded. Of course I've been. I spent the entire last summer between 9th and 10th grade there when Tristan was playing an islander that fell in love with a tourist. Piper and I had spent the summer lounging around and getting tan. "It's beautiful."

"Yeah… beautiful." Percy bit his lip slightly as I caught him checking me out. I suppressed a smile and pretended not to notice, which surprised me. Yesterday I would have yelled at him for hours, but right now, I just didn't feel like it.

"So you and Piper," he said, staring back into my eyes, "you guys best friends?"

I nodded. "Practically sisters. I moved in with her when I was little."

He bit his lip and studied my face, like he was contemplating asking something deep. But he chose to simple ask, "Why?"

Although I saw it coming, I didn't know how to answer. It was hard to keep eye contact with his sea green eyes. Usually, I was the queen at intimidating people with eye contact, but right now I felt like buckling my knees and falling over. How do I answer that? Any way but honestly. I usually liked to give people ridiculous answers, like that they found me on the steps of their house or that I was Piper's third cousin twice removed. For once in my life… I didn't know what to say. So I just stared back.

He broke our stare down and focused his eyes back onto the water. "It's okay, you don't have to tell me."

But I wanted to. I really, really wanted to. But I couldn't.

So we watched the sun. Every couple minutes it got closer and closer to meeting the ocean. The sky dimmed as the sun prepared to talk a swim. I was suddenly jealous. I wished I could take a dive in the water and not come back up until the next day, just like the sun.

I almost forgot about the stunning black haired boy next to me until he spoke up. "Maybe that's why…" he said wistfully. He didn't look at me, he just continued to watch as the sun made it's last appearance for the day. "There's something about a sunset far out into the ocean. I love the ocean, and I love these sunsets. I work on one of my dads ships because that's all I know. It's just me and the sunset."

If someone would have said that to me on land, I would have sent them to a mental asylum. But somehow, in the middle of the ocean on a ship, it made sense. I knew exactly what he meant.

I watched as the sun dipped under the water and disappeared for the night.

Our moment was ruined (did we have a moment?) when both of our phones went off at the same time. There was a split second when neither of us checked them. We let the moment go on for just another second.

But my instincts caught up to me, and I grabbed my phone out of the front pocket in my black shorts. As I brought it up toward my eyes, I heard Percy sigh and take his phone out of his pocket too.

I got a text from Piper.

**Hey! Where r u?**

As I went to type her a text back, another one popped up.

**Wait, r u with Percy?! But guess what! Jason asked me out tonight! idk what we're doing, but I'll let you know. Have fun tonight though, okay? Love you! See you later tonight (or in the morning hehe).**

I let out a light laugh and shoved my phone back into my pocket without answering her.

"So he balled up and asked her out," Percy said with a grin. "I'm proud of him, I gotta admit."

"He texted you?" I asked.

Percy nodded.

I pushed myself off the railing and turned away from the ocean. "I should probably go back to my room. It's getting cold."

Percy sighed but then turned around as well. "Yeah… so should I. Leo probably wants to go do something tonight, I should find him."

We made our way down back onto the pool deck and into the warm lower deck of the boat. Percy and I walked in silence, but it wasn't awkward. At least not for me.

Percy seemed like he kept wanting to say something, but never did. His hands swung or twitched at his side like he wanted to hold mine. Instead of speaking up or grabbing his hand to make things easier for him, I just enjoyed his struggle.

It was refreshing to see him like this. Last night, he was very straight forward. Always arguing with everything I said. Today he was sweet and open.

I didn't notice that Percy was walking my back to my room until we got to my door and he shoved his hands in his pockets. He looked down at his feet as I opened the door to my room. I turned around, about to say bye, when I noticed his behavior. I raised a brow. "You alright there?"

"Yeah, I uh," he stuttered, "well since our roommates are going out tonight, I was wondering if, uh," he lifted his beautiful sea green eyes to meet mine. I wanted to fall over right then and there. "...you wanted to get some dinner and go to a club or something?"

Yes. Yes, yes, yes. I wanted to go. I wanted to dress up and go out to dinner and hear all about his dad. I wanted to ask why he doesn't go by his dad's last name and if he's close to his mom. But my tongue caught in my throat. "No," I said.

Why'd I say no? What? Why?

"Oh," his face dropped and he looked embarrassed and disappointed. I felt like I was going to cry.

"No, it's just that I'm tired and I have to call my mom," I lied. "But I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

He nodded and began to step away. "Yeah, okay. Well, if you get bored or if you can't sleep, text me. Or… just come by my room."

I smiled warmly. He was being so sweet. "Okay, yeah. Sure."

Percy's eyes brightened a little at my answer, then he turned to walk away.

"Wait, Percy," I stopped him.

His eyes filled with excitement as he stopped abruptly and turned around. "Yeah?"

I let out a light laugh and tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear. "I don't have your number or your room number."

"Oh," he smiled sheepishly and my heart did a little flip. He reached in his pocket and dug out his cell phone. He unlocked it clumsily and handed it to me. It was open on the contact app, so I added my number and handed him back his phone. He looked down at the new contact and smiled, although I'm not sure whether he meant to or not. "Cool, I'll, uhm, text you my room number."

I took a step back into my room and smiled. "Okay, bye Percy." He stayed standing and waved as I closed the door.

* * *

_**A/N: quick thought: Thaluke or no?**_


	9. Chapter 8 - Rachel Elizabeth Dare

_**A/N: oh my gods, so no Thaluke. I only offered it because like 2 people asked for it, but almost everyone was TOTALLY against it, so sorry Luke, no Thalia for you.**_

_**krasni: yay! thank you so much, I'm happy you liked it.**_

_**OnceuponaSuperWhoLocian: yeah, I'm gonna try show both of their POV's, but this chapter is Annabeth only.**_

_**7thseven: oh I like that idea! but I'm not doing Thaluke, sorry:/**_

_**huma: thank you! I was hoping it was kind of original**_

_**guest: I update at least once a week, usually more.**_

_**And that's about it, no one really asked any questions:/ So enjoy chapter 8!**_

* * *

_Disclaimer__: I do not own Percy Jackson, although I do own a backpack._

* * *

_Summary__:_

_This is Percy Jackson's 3rd summer working as a lifeguard on one of his father's cruise ships. Just him and his best friends on a cruise all summer long. Goes to show that when it seems like nothing can get better, a blonde walks into your life._

* * *

_Chapter 8: Rachel Elizabeth Dare_

* * *

Annabeth:

My father always said that I had inherited a lot from my mother.

I hoped he was right.

But since my mother died when I was 5, I didn't have much recollection of our similarities. The only thing that I remembered after all these years were her startling grey eyes, and I was lucky to call them my own.

"She was stubborn," my dad always told us with a smile. "She was loving and captivating. Her face had a certain hardness to it, like she was calculating your every move. She knew me better than I know myself. And I loved her… I still do."

I had practically memorized the same lines that he told me all the time. By the time I was 7, he would repeat those same words every night, like a bedtime story. And I would mouth along to it and fall asleep with a tear running down my cheek.

Maybe that's why everything went wrong right before my 8th birthday. Maybe we dwelled too much on her. We never let her go. He never let her go…

Whenever I didn't want to go to bed on time, he would laugh with tears welling up in his eyes and tell me how she was so stubborn as well. At anytime in the day when she wasn't on my mind, my father made me feel terrible. She should _always_ be on my mind. She was my mother, for gods sake. It was like he refused to believe she was gone.

My brother was kind and caring like her. I was stubborn and calculating like her.

My brother got the better traits.

Now that I think back to it, I think we're what hurt him. Every time he looked into Malcolm's and my grey eyes, he saw her's. And I think that slowly broke him.

He called me Athena sometimes.

I wanted him to love me, his _daughter_, Annabeth. His _son_, Malcolm. But he loved Athena. He quit his job. He stopped drawing buildings and began drawing her, over and over again. His office was buried in hand drawn portraits of Athena.

And then one day, Malcolm and I were in an orphanage together, but only for a day before he was sent across the country into foster care.

I think that was the first time I cried. Like _really_ cried. Honestly, I didn't know my mother too well. She had always been traveling. When my father was hurting, I cried for him. But that night, in the orphanage, all by myself, I cried for _me_.

It didn't last. Maybe it was a day later, maybe a week later, maybe even a month later, but before long, I was in a car driving south from San Francisco to Los Angeles.

Piper's mom had died in the same plane crash as my mom, and we were best friends. Mr. McLean finally couldn't handle San Francisco anymore and he got so many acting jobs in LA, he finally had to take them. But they couldn't leave me behind.

I sat up in my bed, tears in my eyes. I wiped them away and noticed that black eye makeup was now rubbed on my hands. I groaned at the realization that it was probably running down my face as well. I got up and grabbed my phone off the counter and walked into the bathroom to wash my face.

The cold water woke me right back up and snapped me into reality. I was on a cruise ship. My best friend was on a date. A hot green eyed guy was sulking around somewhere on the ship because I had denied his request to go out on a date with him.

Why had I said no again?

Oh yeah, because I'm an idiot.

I knew that I should probably leave my room and get some fresh air, but for some reason, I couldn't find the will power. I rummaged through my suitcase for the heavy book of puzzles that usually kept me company on lonely nights only to find that it wasn't in there.

I frowned.

Surely I put it back in my suitcase after I last used it…

Oh.

My.

Gods.

I felt like crying. Last time I used it was yesterday by the pool. I must have left it there before I stumbled back to my room. That book was the only thing I still had from my father. The only writing of his I'd seen in over 10 years was his name, Frederick, sketched neatly on the cover page. I would always trace my thumb over it before closing the book for the night.

Now I _really_ had to leave the room.

I checked my phone for the time. 7:48pm. Ugh, my nap only last for an hour and a half. It was only the second night on the cruise and I was already crying in my room. Part-ay.

I had to get out of this room. With every second I spent in it, I could feel it getting smaller. I threw my hair up because I didn't want to run a brush through it, I grabbed a zip up jacket and didn't even bother zipping it up. I grabbed my wallet and phone and walked out of the room, slipping some simple sandals on my french pedicured feet.

I was aware about how non-existent my make up looked. Actually, my whole confident demeanor was off because of my appearance, but at that moment, I didn't care. I found myself walking around the ship with no sense of where I was going. Maybe I walked around for three minutes or maybe it was three hours, but when I sat down at a familiar bar stool, I knew where I was. My eyes scanned behind the bar for a blonde grey eyed boy in his early twenties, but he wasn't there.

"Can I get you anything?" another bartender asked. She had a blue _Poseidon Cruise Line_ polo on under a white apron. The name Poseidon made me slightly cringe after my short but sweet conversation with Percy this afternoon. Percy Poseidon… it just sounded wrong.

The girl had a hand towel over her right shoulder as she casually leaned against the bar, the loose strands of her curly red pony tail cascading in front of her face. Her green eyes stared at me with curiosity, as expected. It was the second night of a one month long cruise, why was I by myself at a sports bar looking so…. terrible?

But she didn't stare at my appearance. She just smiled. "Hello… earth to blondey. Want a drink?"

I shook my head and she shrugged, then turned away to go help someone else. "Wait," I stopped her. "Can I actually have a shirley temple?"

She nodded with a smile and began mixing me a drink. When she finished, she set the tall cool red glass down in front of me. "I would ID you… but you look like you're having a rough day."

I nodded, indicating that I wanted this conversation to go no further. But this girl didn't seem to be one that could take a hint. Instead, she stuck her hand out and smiled even wider. "Name's Rachel Elizabeth Dare, or RED. You may call me either one, but nothing else."

I raised an eyebrow at her and stared at her hand. It was white and clammy from working at the bar, but she showed no indication that she cared. I shook it and forced a smile. "Hello, Rachel Elizabeth Dare. I'm Annabeth."

"Ohh," she sighed in realization. I prepared to say, 'yes, Malcolm's sister,' but she caught me off guard when she said, "You're the one Percy and Jason have been talking about."

My face contorted into one of confusion. "Oh, uh," I stammered, "yeah, maybe?"

She laughed lightly and shook her head as she cleaned out a shot glass with the hand towel that was previously over her shoulder. Her smirk grew slightly, but she tried to hide it. "Yeah, definitely you. He was just here, you know?"

I took a sip of my red drink, enjoying the coolness of the iced drink and the warmth of the alcohol. "Who?"

Rachel Elizabeth Dare let out another light laugh. "Kelp head, obviously."

I surprised myself by shrugging. "I see him as more of a 'seaweed brain,'" I explained.

Her freckled face lit up. "Girl, that's genius! But I'll stick to 'kelp head' and let 'seaweed brain' be your nickname for him," she said with a smirk and a wink.

I shook my head to hide my smile. "It's not like that."

She shrugged. "Maybe not for you, but for him it is. He seemed pretty upset when you declined his invitation for tonight." She set down the clean shot glasses and threw the hand towel back over her shoulder. "You're strong, you know that?" her green eyes met mine. They were lighter than Percy's, but not as bright. "Not many people could say no to him."

My eyebrows instantly pushed together. "Why, does he ask girls out a lot?"

She pursed her lips and shook her head. "No, actually not at all. He's not really the hook up type." Her lips spread into a small smile as she looked down at her hands. "Although, he acts like he is. Truth is, he's too sweet."

I finished the drink and pushed it slightly to my right. "You seem to know him well."

She nodded. "Want another drink?"

I shook my head. "Just a water, please."

Rachel Elizabeth Dare filled up a new glass with water and ice. "I do. Know him well, that is. We dated two summers ago."

Oh god, I hope she didn't feel awkward hearing Percy talk about me. "Oh… I'm sorry that-"

"Don't be," she said with a smile. "We went to high school together and he got me the job on the ship. We only dated for a couple months before we realized that we were better off just as friends."

I nodded in realization. After a couple seconds, I realized that I was at lost for words. That seemed to be happening a lot to me lately.

But luckily, I didn't have to think about it much longer because she turned around to go help another customer. Then she stopped abruptly and turned back around to face me. "I was being honest, by the way. Percy's really sweet and he's not the hook up type. I'm sorry if he came off like that, he's kind of a kelp head."

I smiled. "I've noticed. But, thank you."

She smiled her thanks and turned to help the other passenger.

I drank my water in silence by myself and thought. I was sad that Malcolm wasn't working right now, but glad that I met Rachel Elizabeth Dare. She was straight forward and honest, but caring.

I wondered what Malcolm was doing. Maybe he was asleep in his room or out with some friends. Maybe he was working at another shop or bar on the ship. I wanted to find him, but I didn't have the strength to walk around the ship.

There was a small bowl of lemon slices on the bar. I reached over and grabbed one, then tossed it in my water. I sighed as I took a sip.

"RED, shot time!" a familiar voice said behind me.

Oh lord.

I hesitated before turning around to face whomever the voice belonged too. After a deep breath or five, I turned. His messy black hair matched his black tee shirt that made his green eyes pop. His dark jeans hung on his legs and clutched to his lower half perfectly. My eyes trailed back up to his face so I could see his mischievous smirk.

I immediately wanted to punch a wall.

It was the same smirk he had last night when he was calling me a flirt. My hand tightened around my water glass. Suddenly, any giddy feeling I had from the thought of him had disappeared. In my mind, he was back to his asshole arguing ways.

After she served the other passenger, Rachel Elizabeth Dare turned around to face Percy and Leo. She shook her head amusingly. "So, how many times did Leo get turned down before you could convince him to come back?" she asked with a raised brow.

Percy laughed. "Like twice."

Leo sighed and threw his hands up in exasperation. "What can I say, it's just not my night."

"More like week," Rachel Elizabeth Dare said with a small smile playing on her lips. "Last night didn't go to smoothly either, I suppose?"

Leo huffed down on the barstool next to me. "Just give me a shot, Dare." He threw his arm around me. "And give Annabeth here one too."

I shook my head. "Nope, I'm staying virgin today."

I ignored Percy's chuckle and tried not to make eye contact with him as he sat down on the other side of me. But there was no ignoring Rachel Elizabeth Dare's laugh as she shook her head. "What about that shirley temple you just sucked down?"

I shrugged and took another sip of my water. "Didn't count," I said simply.

Rachel Elizabeth Dare set a double shot down in front of Leo and leaned toward him. "So, tell me about it."

And he did. I tried to join in their conversation, but Percy's eyes bored into me from my right and I couldn't focus. After a couple minutes, I gave up and finished off my water. The thick silence between Percy and I grew and it was almost too much, so I broke it without even thinking about it. "I take it you struck out, too?" I asked.

He shook his head, his black hair slightly shaking back and forth. "You can only strike out if you take a swing, right?"

"Actually, with technical baseball rules, you can strike out without swinging," I informed him.

He rolled his green eyes. "You know what I mean."

I let out a light laugh and tried to look away, but I couldn't. His sheepish grin was back. My heart melted. Then it jumped. I remembered what I looked like and was immediately embarrassed, but I tried not to show it.

"So, how was your mom?" he asked casually.

My mom? My mom's dead. My head started to hurt, my heart felt heavy. Why was he asking about my mo- Oh gods. I told him I couldn't go out with him because I had to call my mom. Dammit, I need to become a better liar.

I don't know what my face looked like, but it must have freaked him out because his eyes widened a little bit. "Oh, I'm, uhm, sorry. Is everything okay?"

I nodded and forced a smile. "Yeah, just been a long day."

He nodded and tapped his hands on the bar like he was trying to fill the silence in the air. "So," he broke tension, "I take it you're done with everything you had to do tonight?"

I raised a brow. "Well, I guess."

He smiled and stood up from his bar stool, reaching his hand out to me. "No excuses, come on."

I should have laughed and stayed sitting. I should have frowned and shook my head. I should have got up on gone to bed.

But I didn't.

I stood up and grabbed his hand, accepting his offer.

* * *

_**A/NL: Since Thaluke was a definite no, does anyone want me to keep Luke in it? Or just pretend he's not there for the rest of the story?**_


	10. Chapter 9 - The Bedroom

**_A/N: Yay update! I hope you all enjoy._**

* * *

_Disclaimer__: I do not own Percy Jackson, although I do own a purse._

* * *

_Summary__:_

_This is Percy Jackson's 3rd summer working as a lifeguard on one of his father's cruise ships. Just him and his best friends on a cruise all summer long. Goes to show that when it seems like nothing can get better, a blonde walks into your life._

* * *

_Chapter 8: The Bedroom_

* * *

Percy:

I remember the last day of 4th grade pretty vividly.

All of the students were watching the clock, naturally, while the teacher spoke about how much she'd miss us and how we were the best class ever yada yada ya. I tapped my pencil against my desk with every passing second until the bell finally rang. The triumphant yell of elementary school children rang in my ear until my best friend Grover and I were outside of the school, watching moms pick up their kids.

I remember Grover frowning at me. "This has got the be the lamest summer ever."

I forced a smile and nudged his shoulder. "G-man, the summer hasn't even started yet."

He sighed and shouldered his green eco-friendly backpack. "Yeah, but you're spending the entire summer with your dad in San Diego. What am I supposed to do?

"I don't leave for another week," I tried to explain to him in an attempt to sound optimistic. "So this week we'll spend everyday exploring the city, like we always do!"

Grover just groaned and watched soccer mom mini vans pull up and pull out. My eyes strained to find my moms baby blue porsche that my dad had bought her some years earlier, before the divorce. My mom was always right out front when the bell rang, where was she today?

A couple minutes passed, and Grover's dad pulled up in his black prius and Grover climbed in the back seat. I waved to him with a smile on my face. He just stuck his tongue out.

A few minutes later, and my mom still wasn't there. I began to worry until something familiar caught my eye. A hot red convertible sports car pulled up next to me, but that's not what was familiar. The familiar part was the man behind the wheel.

He took his sunglasses off to reveal his warm green eyes. His black hair was wind blown and his expression was one of pure excitement.

Apparently, my dad bought his first cruise ship.

Apparently, he named it Sally.

I got to say goodbye to my mom before we got on the flight to San Diego that day, but I didn't get to say goodbye to Grover.

Now, I don't know why that day was popping up in my mind so much tonight. You'd think Annabeth's brilliant laughter, princess curled hair, startlingly grey eyes, and hot body would keep my mind busy enough, but apparently not.

I grabbed Annabeth's hand and dragged her into the elevator. She laughed as the elevator doors closed. She lifted an eyebrow at me and crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Where are you dragging me now?"

I smiled as the elevator began to move downward. "My favorite place on the ship."

She bit her lip to keep from smiling, but it didn't work to well.

In girl standards, I guess she didn't look to great. But to me, she looked absolutely amazing. Her blonde curls were piled on top of her head in a loose bun, her grey eyes looked awake and ready for anything, yet her outfit didn't agree. She was still wearing the same black shorts and grey tank top, but they looked wrinkled and worn down from the day. She had a thin grey jacket on that definitely wouldn't keep her warm where we were going, but I decided not to tell her that.

"I thought the place we were earlier was your favorite part of the ship?" she said suspiciously, her arms still crossed. I knew her arms were pushing her boobs together and out, but I forced myself to keep my eyes on her beautiful face.

"It's a big ship," I said simply as the elevator door opened with a ding. I grabbed her hand and tugged her out of the elevator in excitement.

"Which floor is this?" she asked.

"The E floor."

"I thought there were only A through D, and then level 1 through 4?"

I wiggled my eyebrows at her with a smirk. "As far as you know."

I ran through the corridors, tugging her along, until we got to the door I was looking for. My face lit up as I let go of her hand to dig for my keys in my pocket. I fumbled with them until the door was open and the keys were back in my pocket.

"Where are we go-?"

I interrupted her by tugging her into the the dark room. She laughed so beautifully, that I'm surprised that it didn't physically light up the room. I felt for the light switch against the wall until I flipped it on. Before looking around, I took a glance at Annabeth's face.

"Oh my…" Her grey eyes widened with enthrallment, studying the walls and slowly turning in a circle.

"It was my dad's room when the ship was first built, when this was the only ship he owned," I explained.

She didn't answer. Instead, she continued to scan the room.

It was pretty big for cruise ship room standards. The ceiling was low, like most rooms, but that's when the similarities stopped. The walls were a dark bluish green, like the ocean, but two of them were covered by book shelves. The wall to the right was lined with dark black furniture, including a desk, a set of drawers, and a large king-sized bed. The wall directly across from the door we walked in through was fully covered by blinds, but I smiled as I remembered what was behind them.

Annabeth seemed to be mostly infatuated with the books, and as she walked over to one of the shelves and picked up a book, I laid down on the bed and sighed. I missed my sanctuary.

I put my hands behind my head and stared up at the blueish green ceiling and began talking out loud. "This is the only room that no one has a key too. It's not a card, like most of them, it's a physical key. My dad owns it. But when he first brought me on the ship when I was 10, he had another key made for me. I think he forgot that he gave me the key, but I never lost it. My dad uses the room when he stays on the ship, but he's rarely here."

I finally looked away from the ceiling to see Annabeth sitting timidly on the edge of the bed, a stack of books at her side. "So, is this your room? Like, do you sleep here?" she asked.

I shook my head, no. "No, I room with Jason on the lowest floor. No one knows I have a key to this room."

She pursed her lips. "No one?"

"Not even Jason."

I was waiting for her to ask why, which I answered silently in my head. I don't know why I never showed anyone this room. I guess it was just the one last thing that I shared with my dad. Just mine and his.

But she didn't ask. Annabeth just nodded and picked up one of the old books at her side. I sat up and moved next to her. "What's that one?" I asked.

She shrugged, keeping her eyes on the hardcover book. "Looks like an encyclopedia on different types of sharks."

Annabeth set it back down in front of her and sighed. She turned around and swung her legs off the bed, laying down. She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. I layed down next to her and propped my head up on my head to look at her. "You alright?" I asked.

She nodded, keeping her eyes on the ceiling. I waited, holding my breath, until she sighed again and copied my position, staring into my eyes. Her usual harsh grey eyes were soft and open. I felt my breath catch in my throat, but stayed calm. "So why" she asked carefully, "did you bring me here?"

I furrowed my eyebrows at her question. Why did I bring her here? I guess I just wanted to show her something cool, something sweet and innocent.

So instead of answering her, I just stood up and walked to the wall that was covered by curtains. "Honestly, the room isn't want I wanted to show you." I pulled the blue curtain open to reveal a sliding glass door. I opened the door with my key and stepped out on the porch. "This is what I wanted to show you."

The porch was empty, the only thing standing between myself and the vast ocean was a railing. I took a deep breath in and smiled at the familiar ocean breeze.

I felt a presence beside me and spoke. "I would stand out here for hours while my dad read all those books. Then he would come out here and tell me about the sea animals and the ocean. I was never great at reading 'cause of my dyslexia, but dad always read to me."

I looked over at her, and I think I stopped breathing.

The loose pieces of her curly blond bun were softly moving to the wind, her eyes looked just like the dark clouds over the water. She was resting her forearms on the railing and leading forward. Her grey jacket blew slightly in the wind, so she shivered a little bit.

But what I couldn't place was her expression.

It wasn't cold, hard, or calculating. It wasn't soft and loving. It was just… her. I didn't know how to explain it.

Half expecting her to comment on my rant about my father, I was taken back when she answered me. "You're right, it's beautiful out here. Breathtaking, actually."

I forced myself to look away from her and back out toward the sea. The water was dark, as expected, and seemed to go on forever. "I haven't been here in a year," I told her.

She bit her lip and continued to study the ocean. I wanted desperately to know what she was thinking, but her expression lead nothing on. But I knew better to believe that she wasn't thinking about anything. If I've learned anything about Annabeth today, it was that she always had something on her mind.

The silence was killer; and even with my mind going a million miles a minute, I couldn't, for the life of me, come up with anything to say that would get her to talk to me.

I don't know what I was expecting her to say when she finally did speak up. But of course, she took me by surprise.

She always takes me by surprise.

"When did you last see your mother?" Annabeth asked. She turned and looked at me inquisitively, her grey eyes boring into me.

"Spring break," I answered. "I always visit her during spring break."

Annabeth raised a pointed eyebrow. "Isn't spring break a prime time for cruise companies? Wouldn't you be working?"

I shrugged. "I could be, I guess. But I don't know, ever since I moved to San Diego in fourth grade, I've always visited her during spring break."

"Where does she live?" Annabeth asked. I was surprised that she was suddenly interested and asking me questions, but I didn't argue. I liked talking to her.

"New York. Manhattan, actually."

Annabeth nodded, her expression changeless. "My mom grew up there," she said simply.

"Where does she live now?" I asked.

She pursed her lips and blinked. Suddenly, she didn't look like how I've ever seen her. She looked older and wise. Yet younger and sullen. "She died when I was 5."

Oh god. "Annabeth… I'm so sorry."

She shrugged and turned back to the ocean. "It's okay. I didn't know her very well."

_'No, it's just that I'm tired and I have to call my mom. But I'll see you tomorrow, okay?'_

I blinked at the memory of her words, only a few hours earlier. If she didn't want to go out with me, Annabeth was smart enough to come up with a thousand great lies. So why did she use that one?

_'So you and Piper, you guys best friends?'_

_'Practically sisters. I moved in with her when I was little.'_

_'Why?'_

_No response._

A thought occurred to me. If her mother died, why didn't she live with her father? Did he die? Did she even know who her father was? My voice caught in my throat. This is the same stubborn girl who argued with every word I said.

Her voice brought me back to the present.

"Where's your dad?"

I shrugged. "Who knows. Now that he owns a whole cruise line, he doesn't spend his time on any of them. If I had to guess, he's probably back in San Diego working in the office headquarters."

She nodded and I found the courage to ask the question I've been dying to know.

"What about your dad?" I asked.

She kept her eyes on the water. "San Francisco," she answered simply.

Annabeth said it so blatantly, so matter-of-fact, like she was declaring the end of that conversation. One look into her storm grey eyes and I knew I shouldn't push her. But I wanted to.

Before I got the chance to say anything, Annabeth pushed herself off the railing and walked back into the room. I followed her without thinking and watched her lay down onto the bed.

I stepped into the bedroom tentatively, watching her take her hair out of it's bun and run her hands through her blonde curls. She sighed as I stood there like an idiot. She stripped off her light grey jacket and tossed it off the bed. As she laid her head down on the black pillow on the king sized bed, her curls cascading around her, her grey tank top rose up. It revealed a bit of her tan stomach, the owl on her shirt wrinkling slightly.

I bit my lip.

But she didn't see me. She was too busy staring up at the ceiling.

"Remember earlier when you said that it was strange how when we're so far out to sea, so far away from our lives, everything seems clearer here?"

I nodded, but I don't think she saw me. Her words seemed directed at me, but she said them as if she was talking to herself. It made me feel incompetent.

"I think you're right." She took a deep breath and continued. "But I also think it clouds things up. Like, one second, you think you've figured it all out. And the next second, a wave breaks on the side of the ship and all of a sudden, you have no idea who you are anymore."

I carefully sat down on the edge of the bed and watched her furrow her eyebrows in thought. "It's all in the process," I told her. "You think you're right, you figure out you've got it all wrong, you fix the equation, you've finally got it, and over and over again. But each time you get closer to the truth, right?"

She sat up and propped herself with her elbow, her eyes staring into me. "So after all the time you've spent on the ship, have you figured it out yet?"

I shook my head. "No, and I don't think I ever will." I took a deep breath and broke our eye contact, laying down next to her. I stared up at the ceiling like it was clouds forming pictures in the sky. "But I like to think I'm getting closer, right?"

She didn't say anything.

I didn't say anything either.

Instead, she scooted closer to me and rested her head on my chest. I lowered my hand onto her forearm and held her closer. She let out a light 'mhmm' and nuzzled in closer.

I couldn't help but think that this was so unlike Annabeth. But I didn't argue.

And for once, neither did she.

* * *

Leo:

My favorite thing to do when I struck out with girls at the bar was wallow in my own self pity.

So, as you can imagine, I spent most nights wallowing in my own self pity.

Tonight, my mind wandered to a favorite memory of mine, one of my only solidly happy memories with a girl I had.

I remembered how she smelled like flowers and cinnamon, her almond eyes lit up with joy as she grabbed my hand and led me up the mountain. The moist dirt squished under my hiking boots as I took another step upward. Her laugh lit up the tropical mountain side. "Come on, Leo, we're gonna miss the sunset!" she whined.

I groaned and tried to hid my smile as I slugged along after her. "Hey, I'm going as fast as I can! My feet hurt."

She rolled her big eyes and flashed me a small smile. "You're the one that wore those dorky boots."

"Sorry I'm not as cool as you, miss native," I teased.

She flashed me a wide smile and shook her head. "Just hurry up!"

There was a cliff at the top of the mountain, and the sunset was just as beautiful as she had talked it up to be. We sat near the edge of the cliff on a rock watching the sun dip beneath the water. I thought about putting my arm around her, but decided against it, and set it down on the rock behind her. To my surprise, she let out a light laugh and reached behind her, grabbing my hand, and put it carefully on her shoulder.

I blushed furiously and almost looked away, but her almond eyes pulled me back to her. Without thinking, I pressed my lips against her's softly. My usual racing mind was surprisingly steading. My usual tapping fingers were surprisingly at rest, caressing her soft cheek.

For once in my racing mind, it was her.

Just her.

* * *

_**A/N: so what do you think about Posiedon's old bedroom? What about the girl Leo kissed?(:**_


	11. Chapter 10 - Made and Unmade Beds

**_A/N: here's a quick update! I hope you enjoy. I know it may seem like I'm moving fast with Percabeth, but if you've noticed, they're quickly on and off. this chapter is on hehe_**

**_fantabulosofanness: haha thank you! I'm happy you enjoyed it._**

**_krasni: unfaithful leo?! no no! plus, you can't be unfaithful with someone you're not dating right?_**

**_psychicamazingness223: no, sally isn't dead. Percy moved across country in 4th grade to san diego with his father, his mom still lives in new york_**

**_Eve-Kataanger: Thank you for liking it(:_**

**_readeraddictforlife: aww haha thank you. but honestly, I'm not a writer, nor do i ever plan on becoming one. I just write these because i like the stories, haha_****_  
_**

**_rocketgod123: well grover was mentioned in chapter 1 by hazel, he's working on the ship. hmmm, should i bring it up and make it a thing?_**

**_morning and eve: Calypso will come up soon, don't worry! and no, she's not on the ship. but i promise, you'll love it!_**

* * *

_Disclaimer__: I do not own Percy Jackson, although I do own a blanket._

* * *

_Summary__:_

_This is Percy Jackson's 3rd summer working as a lifeguard on one of his father's cruise ships. Just him and his best friends on a cruise all summer long. Goes to show that when it seems like nothing can get better, a blonde walks into your life._

* * *

_Chapter 10: Made and Unmade Beds_

* * *

Annabeth:

If you've ever woken up without knowing where you are, you've felt that sudden pain in your stomach. Your mind is either thinking "oh shit, I hope we used protection" or "oh shit, I hope I didn't get kidnapped."

Well, sorry to disappoint, but I knew where I was before I even opened my eyes. My first thought was "dammit, 3rd day of the cruise and I woke up in someone else's bed." Then I realized that the bed I woke up in belonged to the owner of the entire cruise line. I had to admit, I felt a little starstruck. Which is weird, considering that I'm Annabeth Chase. I don't get starstruck. In fact, I don't even get impressed.

But here I was, laying on a king sized bed that only one person on the entire ship had a key too, clinging onto Percy Jackson's bicep for dear life.

I was awake, but I didn't stir. I kept my eyes closed, my breathing steady. I focused on the smell of good cologne and salt water that came from the sleeping boy next to me.

Well, at least I thought he was sleeping.

I heard a loud yawn and felt him stretch out his legs. "Annabeth?" he whispered hoarsely. For some reason, I didn't answer. I pretended to sleep so I could enjoy the bliss that was the previous night.

I expected him to try to wake me up or push me off of him so he could leave the room. But instead, he just let out a light chuckle and kissed the top of my head. I nuzzled my cheek into his chest and yawned.

I had known him for, what?, two days? A day and a half? Yet here I was, feeling comfort in his sweet gestures. _Dammit Annabeth_, I scolded myself, _just enjoy it for once_. So against all better judgement, I smiled into his tee shirt and cuddled up closer.

_Hm_, I wondered. _How far can I push this?_

I suppressed a smile and wrapped my arms around his waist gently, taking note of his hard stomach. After a few moments, I wrapped my leg around his hip, clinging my body onto his. _How is he not uncomfortable yet?_ I fought the urge to sneak a look at his face to see if he was awake or if he fell back asleep.

Suddenly, he slowly pushed me off of him and sat up. I pretended to still be asleep so I could see what he would do next. At first, I felt a twinge of sadness and embarrassment that he had gotten up. But then I realized that, _oh my god_, I've only known him for a day or so. It'd be weird if we were so comfortable in each others arms.

So why was I so comfortable in his?

I was torn away from my thoughts when I heard a rustling noise and something light throws into a heap on the ground. I laid still, waiting for what he would do next. I felt his weight weighing down on the bed, and then felt him lay down next to me.

He laid under the blanket and tentatively grabbed my waist and pulled me toward him. My back was facing him, so he couldn't see me bite my lip to keep from smiling. He pressed my waist against his pelvis and wrapped his arms around me. He nuzzled his face into my neck softly and let out a small yawn.

It was then that I noticed why he got up and then came back. The small of my back was revealed and pressed against his bare hard stomach. Skin on skin.

He was shirtless.

I shouldn't have been so comfortable. But I was.

So comfortable, actually, that I feel back asleep.

* * *

Piper:

Nervousness took over me as I raced back to mine and Annabeth's room.

Well, technically, we didn't share a room. It was two rooms joined together by a door, but we kept that open all the time. Plus, Annabeth was really smart and a great friend, she probably noticed quite easily that I didn't come home last night.

I fumbled with my key and unlocked my door as quickly as possible, throwing myself into my room. "I know, I know," I apologized to my empty room, expecting the door to be open. "But we didn't do anything!"

My bed was still made from the previous day. Everything was how I last left it, except the door was closed.

I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. The first thing Annabeth and I did in the morning was wake the other one up. Always. Cruise or not.

Memories flashed in my mind of early mornings in middle school when Annabeth would rush into my room and jump on my bed at 6 in the morning. I would groan and throw a pillow at her. She would yell and say that we were gonna be late for school. I would groan again and remind her that it was Saturday.

The only reason the door would be still closed right now was if Annabeth was still sleeping. I pulled my phone out of my pocket to check the time. 9:56 am.

Wow I really slept in.

But I couldn't help it, Jason and I feel asleep in his room talking. I smiled at the memory.

But Annabeth never slept in. I cautiously opened the door connecting our two rooms in hope that she was sleeping soundly in her bed. "Annabeth?" I asked in a whisper.

Just my luck.

I groaned and sunk down against the door. Now what? With my phone in my hand, I typed out a text to my blonde best friend.

**Anniebethie, where u at? if you got breakfast without me, bring me back bacon. a lot of bacon. like just bring me the whole tray, k?**

I hopped in the shower and got ready for the day, putting on black bikini bottoms under jean shorts and a black bikini top under a huge, thin, over the shoulder purple tee shirt. I looked in the mirror with makeup in hand, prepared to cover up any necessary blemishes. No pimples, but I did have one small hickey under my ear on my neck.

While mentally cursing myself and Jason for his desirable kisses, I smiled widely. I thought about covering it up with makeup, but I was never good with that kind of stuff. Maybe if I just kept my hair down, it was cover it. Anyway, I had to go find Annabeth.

After I realized that I don't care what I looked like, I grabbed my key and my phone and started towards the elevator. I waited impatiently for the elevator to open, and when it did, it revealed a sleepy boy with slightly wet blonde hair and tired blue eyes.

"Jason," I said.

The corner of his mouth lifted slightly. He looked like he had showered, but he put back on the same plaid blue pj bottoms he wore last night and threw on a white tee shirt. He looked, for lack of a better term, hot. "I was just looking for you," he said.

I entered the elevator and stood next to him, nervously running my hair through my chocolate colored hair. "Yeah, I'm sorry I ran out. Annabeth would have given me shit if she found out that I passed out at your place."

Jason raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean 'would have'? Didn't you just come from your room?"

I nodded. "Yeah, but Annabeth wasn't there. Which is weird, because she always wakes me up to go to breakfast with her. That's where I'm going, hopefully she's there."

"Well, was her bed made?" Jason stated like it should have been the first thing I checked.

I widened my eyes slightly. "Oh god. Yeah, it was. She didn't sleep there last night."

The elevator door dinged open and Jason and I made our way to the diner Thalia worked at to get some breakfast. "You know," Jason said, "Percy didn't come home yesterday either. Honestly, I kind of assumed that he was at your place with Annabeth."

I shook my head. "No, Annabeth's not like that."

"Well," he said. "Neither are you. We just hung out and talked," Jason said with a bright white smile.

I shrugged and slightly turned away from him, embarrassed. "Yeah… and kissed a little," I said quietly.

I peaked a look at him to see him throw his head back in laughter, his face lighting up. He nudged his shoulder into mine. "Yeah, if that's what you want to call it."

He led me to a table at the same restaurant and pulled out a chair for me. I sat in it diligently and scooted it in as he sat across from me. "Why, what would you call it?"

He shrugged and handed me a menu. He seemed to be thinking a little bit. "Uhm, probably aggressively making out."

Before I could answer, a waitress showed up behind him. "Oh, ew. Please tell me that's not how you got that hickey on your neck," she said while running a hand through her short black hair.

I instinctively put my hand under my ear on my neck. Then I noticed Jason do the same. He widened his eyes a little bit. "Oh shit, you have one too?"

I nodded and lowered my hand.

Thalia laughed and stepped closer to the table. "Oh, classic karma. Anyway, sluts, what can I get for you two this morning?"

Jason sent Thalia the most evil glare I've ever seen his face contort to. "She is not a slut," he seethed.

Thalia threw up her hands defensively, a pad and pen in one, like she was scared. I would have been. But Thalia's face said that she wasn't even a bit scared of her twin brother. "Okay, sorry. Just speaking for your battle scars," she said with a wink at me.

My cheeks flushed a little bit, I'll admit.

* * *

Percy:

Ever since my phone went off at 7 in the morning, I'd been waking up every 15 minutes. By the time 8 am rolled around, things were heating up really fast in that bed.

And no, it's not what you think (although I kinda wished it was).

Annabeth was fast asleep, and I was sweating. Then, she nuzzled up closer to me and wrapped her arms and legs around me. I blushed at her touch, but then I realized that she was still fast asleep. With both of our body's so close to each other under the blankets, it was getting pretty hot.

Against all better judgement, I couldn't take it anymore. I slowly got off of the bed and took my shirt off, tossing it on the floor. Then, I tentatively got back under the covers. For a second, I thought about just falling back asleep. But then I realized that, somehow, I just wasn't as comfortable without Annabeth's body against mine.

Her back was facing me, so I turned on my side to face her. Carefully, I reached over and grabbed her hips, pulling her towards me. Immediately, I felt better. Like a soothing feeling. I wrapped my arms around her middle and nuzzled my face against her neck.

She smelled like vanilla and jasmine.

I smiled into her neck.

We laid like that for a while under her breath slowed, like she was more comfortable too. She pressed her butt even closer against my pelvis and I blushed.

Why was I so comfortable? Usually if I was like this with a girl, we were dating. Because if I ever just hooked up with a girl (rare) I would never stick around to cuddle. But with Annabeth… I don't know, it was just easy. She was so difficult to deal with half of the time, and the other half of the time she was painfully easy to be around.

I wanted to kiss her.

I wanted to argue with her.

I wanted to know all of her darkest secrets.

And as she hummed lightly and pressed her back against my chest, I realized that I liked her. A lot.

* * *

Every time I opened my eyes since then, Annabeth and I were still spooning and she was sleeping gently in my arms.

Except this time.

I sat up, scanning the room with my eyes. It looked just like it did last night, except the bathroom door, by the bookshelves, was open. The shower was on and someone was singing. I smiled and got out of bed, yawning.

The sun shone through the dark blue curtains, revealing that we slept a little bit later that I originally had thought. I found my phone on the black desk by the bed. 3 unread messages, 4 missed calls, 1 voicemail, and it was 11:38.

Wait, 11:38? Shit! I had work in 22 minutes!

I heard the water shut off and I decided to check my messages. The missed calls were all from Piper. I clicked on the voicemail and put it on speaker while I searched the drawers for some of my old board shorts.

_"Percy mother fucking Jackson. Where are you and where is my best friend?!"_ the phone screeched out Piper's voice.

A male voice chuckled in the background. _"Pipes, calm down."_

_"No I will not calm down, Jason!"_ Piper yelled. _"Percy, you've both been missing all morning and that's not normal for her and I'm worried and did you two fall overboard?! Because this is not okay and-"_

_"Pipes,"_ Jason interrupted with a chuckle, _"they'll turn up soon. Hang up."_

There was a chuckle and a sigh, but after a couple seconds, the line went dead.

I laughed at the voicemail as I found a pair of black boardshorts.

"So she's been calling you too?"

I turned towards the voice with my pants at my ankles.

"God dammit, Seaweed Brain," Annabeth said, shielding her eyes as she stepped into the room. "Put some pants on, I don't need to see that."

She had already changed back into what she had been wearing yesterday because she didn't have anything else to wear. I shrugged and pulled the black boardshorts up onto my hips. "At least I was wearing boxers, okay?"

She laughed and searched the room for something. "Yeah, I don't get that. Why do guys wear boxers under their bathing suits?" She shook her head. "Doesn't make sense.

I shrugged and pulled my shirt over my head. "I couldn't tell ya why. I guess it's just comfortable."

She sighed and put her hands on her hips, her right hand clutched around phone.

"What are you looking for?" I asked.

"My room key," Annabeth said as she ran a hand through her long wet hair. "That's why I had to shower here, I couldn't find my key. Piper's at breakfast, she'd left me enough voicemails and texts for me to figure that one out."

I grabbed my phone off the desk and shoved it into my pocket. "I only got 3 messages and 4 calls. Not too bad."

"What'd the messages say?" she asked.

"I have no idea, I didn't open them."

She nodded and then bit her lip, like she had something at the tip of her tongue. "I'm sorry, by the way."

"For what?" I asked, confused.

"Staying the night, showering here."

I surprised myself by letting out a light laugh. "Not a problem." I met her eyes. "Honestly, I really liked it."

She bit her lip to keep from blushing. "Yeah, well, it passed the time."

My phone buzzed loudly in my pocket.

"Piper again?" she asked.

I shook my head as I stared at the screen. It was alert that I started work in 5 minutes. "No, just an alert. I start work at noon. Ya coming?" I asked as I made my way towards the door.

She nodded and tucked a strand of drying blond hair behind her ear. "Yeah, I better go find Piper. I need her key so I can change my clothes."

I locked the door behind us and we made our way. In the elevator, she sighed and leaned against the wall. "You alright?" I asked.

Annabeth smiled. "Yeah, I just know that she's gonna give me so much shit."

When we got to the 3rd level, she got out to meet her best friend.

I watched her walk out of the elevator because I still had to go up another level. Her hips swayed ever so slightly and her half dried curls bounced on her grey tank top.

And I had slept with her, in the most innocent sense of the phrase.

* * *

_**A/N: so what'd you all think? how do you think Percabeth is going? what do you want to read more of? let me know! review!**_


	12. Chapter 11 - Flawless Addiction

**_A/N: So that took longer than expected._**

**_For anyone who is wondering, I started a new job and it's finals week and I've had about 382384 performances over the last 2 weeks and I have 2 more this week. But don't worry, cause it won't last long and then I'll be back to updating fast again!_**

* * *

_Disclaimer__: I do not own Percy Jackson, although I do own a fancy Starbucks cup._

* * *

_Summary__:_

_This is Percy Jackson's 3rd summer working as a lifeguard on one of his father's cruise ships. Just him and his best friends on a cruise all summer long. Goes to show that when it seems like nothing can get better, a blonde walks into your life._

* * *

_Chapter 11: Flawless Addiction_

* * *

Annabeth:

I frowned as Piper took away my half drinken shirley temple. "No more for you," she said with a smirk.

I crossed my arms in front of my chest and leaned back into the pool chair. "No fair."

"Yes, fair," Piper said. "That's your 4th today and it's only 2:30 in the afternoon."

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever."

The sun shone in my eyes, so I pulled my sunglasses over them and scanned the pool deck. Children ran around, adults drank and laughed, and teens flirted and tanned. How long had I even been on this ship? Everyday seemed to mold into the day before and the day after; I had lost track.

Lemme think. We boarded the ship on Thursday, I fell asleep in Percy's room on Friday, got breakfast with Thalia, Jason, and Piper while they made fun of me on Saturday, tanned and slept all day Sunday, hit the clubs with a bunch of people on Monday...

So today must be Tuesday. But honestly, my brain had been drowning in Percy and alcohol over the last couple of days, so I decided to double check. "Hey Pipes, what day is it?"

Piper smiled at me. "Tuesday. We land in Hawaii tomorrow morning and, oh my god Annabeth, it's gonna be perfection." Piper, of course, looked stunning. Her chocolate brown hair was braided over her right shoulder with a blue feather braided into it. The feather matched her baby blue halter bikini top and bikini bottoms that clung to her perfectly tanned body. She was tanner than most, probably because of her indian blood. Her stomach was toned to perfection, although "exercise" was a foreign concept to the both of us.

I groaned. Why did my best friend have to look so much better than me?

Piper noticed my sullen demeanor (of course, when doesn't she), and nudged my shoulder with her palm. "Are you still sulking about that puzzle book again?"

I nodded. It had been six days since that first day on the cruise when I lost my dad's puzzle book. I felt terrible and had searched everywhere with no avail. "I just don't know where it could be," I told my best friend.

"Okay, it's been, what?, 6 days? Let me ask Jason, he works at the bar right here, he probably knows where it went."

I shook my head. "No, I'll find it."

She sighed, aggravated. "Either let us help you, or stop sulking."

I weighed my options. How nerdy would it be if I went up to Jason (or even worse, Percy) and asked where my almost 800 page puzzle book was? God, they'd never look at me the same.

But the image of my dad's name written neatly on the cover page was permanently burned in my brain. I felt like if I lost that book, I lost my father. Permanently.

I couldn't go through that again.

"Let me do it, I'll ask Percy," I told her.

She nodded triumphantly. "Finally."

Piper focused her attention back on my 4th shirley temple that she was finishing for me. I focused my attention back on the real view.

With my sunglasses on, I knew Percy had no idea that I was staring at him. I could be looking at anything, really. But he was too distracting.

Over the last couple days, Percy and I had grown as friends; but we hadn't been alone since that night. When we were together, it was always with Piper and Jason or Hazel and Frank or Clarisse or Will or the Stoll's or Katie.

Right now was no different.

He sat in his short lifeguard tower on the other side of the pool talking to a group of girls who were all in bikinis. They were younger than him by a couple years. If I had to guess, I'd say juniors or seniors in high school. The one closest to Percy was doing all the talking (or flirting), twirling her wavy brown hair around her finger and batting her thick eyelashes. She was sucking in her stomach (which wasn't necessary considering how skinny she already was) and pushing out her boobs. Her friends were practically clones of her but with different colored bikinis.

My focus was only on them for about a second before I got to looking at the real view.

Percy was flawless, as always, with his messy black hair covering his forehead. Although I was across the pool, I could still make out his bright green eyes. He twirled his sunglasses in his hand as he spoke to the girls, a polite (and fake, I think/hope) smile on his face. He wore the same black swim trunks that he wore after we slept together.

He shook his head at the girls and the one in the front put her hands on her hips, annoyed. Percy shrugged and turned back to the pool. After a couple long seconds, the girls huffed and slugged away.

After I watched them leave, I turned my attention back to Percy. My eyes traced from his strong legs, up to his board shorts, up to his toned and tanned stomach, to his strong shoulders and neck, back up to his green eyes.

I bit my lip.

Only, Percy was looking right back at me. I noticed that I had taken off my sunglasses to get a better look, so Percy saw me check him out.

He raised an eyebrow at me, an amused smile playing on his lips. He pulled out his phone and typed something quickly, then set it down on his chair next to him and watched me.

My phone buzzed in my hand.

**Percy****_: Checking me out, Wise Girl? (;_**

I rolled my eyes at his cockiness, even though I was checking him out. But still.

**Annabeth****_: Don't flatter yourself, Seaweed Brain._**

**Percy: ****_I don't have too. You flatter me all on your own(;_**

I groaned at his text, my phone still in hand. I looked up to make sure he was watching me. When I noticed that he was, I lifted up my shorts from the pile of clothes on the ground next to me and shoved my phone in the pocket. Percy frowned and pouted, but I sent him a wide smile.

"Oh my god," Piper grinned from the right of me. "You're addicted."

I broke Percy's gaze to meet Piper's amused glare. "What are you talking about?" I questioned.

She let out a light laugh and shrugged innocently. "Percy, you're addicted."

Maybe I was.

But I wasn't about to admit it.

So I rolled my eyes and pulled my sunglasses over them, leaned back into my pool chair, and tried to focus on the feel of the sun, the scent of the ocean breeze, anything but Percy Jackson.

* * *

Percy:

"Nope, not happening," I said, shaking my head.

Leo groaned. "Come on, give me 5 more minutes."

"I've given you 20 extra minutes! That I'm not getting paid for, by the way," I told him as I jumped off the small lifeguard tower. "All yours, bud."

Leo frowned. "But I was so close!" He hauled himself up onto the chair.

I shook my head, a smile playing on my lips. "No you weren't. You're just off your game today."

Leo put some more sunscreen on his arms as he frowned down at me. "That must be it. But I totally thought that blonde was into me, didn't you?"

"Honestly man?" I said as I took off my whistle and shoved it into my pocket. "No, she wasn't. But you'll find someone, man, don't worry about it."

He grumbled something about how girls hate him while I left him to start his shift as lifeguard. Which meant, I'm free! Well, for today. And tomorrow, actually, I don't work Wednesdays!

I scanned the pool for a blonde and a brunette, but I couldn't find them. I frowned.

While making my way to mine and Jason's room, I pulled out my phone to shoot some texts.

**Percy to Annabeth: ****_hey blondie, where are ya? just got off work(:_**

**Percy to Jason: ****_got off work, on the way to the room. what's happening tonight?_**

I dug through my pocket and found my key, but just as I opened the door, I heard someone walk behind me. "Hey, Malcolm!"

The blonde 21 year old turned around and smiled when he saw me. "Oh, hey Perce."

"Where've you been the last couple days?" I asked. We stood in the hallway with my bedroom door wide open. "We've been calling you off the hook!"

He pursed his lips. "I've been picking up some extra shifts. Sleeping as much as possible and drinking a lot of coffee and shirley temples."

Just like Malcolm to focus on work and only work on a cruise ship. "Okay, well, are you working tonight?" I asked.

He nodded solemnly. "Yeah, sorry dude."

"It's okay. Hey- have you talked to your sister?"

A small smile grew on his face. "Yeah, the first night. And, Percy, she's amazing. She has everything I could ever hope for her, the world at her feet. It's like a huge weight has been lifted off of my shoulders, I felt guilty for years, but Percy, she's fine."

I couldn't help but smile back. "That's awesome Mal. Have you been catching up?"

The smile drained from his face. "No… I'm actually, uhm-" he shuffled his feet, "I've been avoiding her."

"Dude!"

"I know, I know. But she's doing so great without me, and I just can't-"

"Well, I wanna meet her," I said. "You say she has everything she's ever wanted, well, what if she wants her brother back?"

He stared back at me.

"Look man," I continued, "I gotta go. But when I call, answer. And talk to her, okay?"

He nodded and I really hope his listens.

* * *

Annabeth:

Our girls night was a complete success up until Piper brought it up.

She always has to bring things up.

But if she didn't bring things up that annoyed me, she wouldn't be Piper.

"Come on Anniebethie, just tell the truth!" Piper said with a wide smile stretching across her face. She sat next next to me on the bed, her feet dangling off.

I groaned. "There's nothing to tell."

"So…" Thalia said with her eyebrows furrowed. She sat on the edge of my bed with a pillow clutched in her lap. She had on a silver tank top and spandex. "You really didn't do anything?"

I sighed, exasperated. "No! I already told you guys. We fell asleep talking, that's it," I said with finality. I was sitting at the head of the bed with my legs crossed and under the blankets. My black tank top was falling off my right shoulder and I could feel my spandex riding up my butt.

Boxes from almost every restaurant on the ship were strewn all over my bedroom; including the tables, floors, and even my bed. The room smelled like mixed perfumes, powder makeup, and cheese fries. Most of the food was gone, so we were all patiently awaiting our next arrival of food from Rachel Elizabeth Dare.

I mean, you can't have a girls night without an insane amount of food, right?

Clarisse was sitting on the ground in front of the mirror that hung on the open door that connected mine and Piper's room. Silena sat next to her doing her makeup. Clarisse, in short, didn't look too pleased.

"Wait," Clarisse said as Silena attempted to apply lip gloss on her. Silena sat back, aggravated, and sighed. "Slept where?"

I took a deep breath so I looked annoyed, when really, I just needed a couple seconds to think of an excuse. "On my bed."

Thalia and Clarisse smirked.

Katie and Hazel gasped.

Silena smiled.

But Piper didn't look convinced. "Bullshit," she laughed with a smirk. All eyes were on her. "I came into our room to find you the next morning and you were nowhere to be found and your bed was made."

"The next morning?!" Katie asked with a mischievous grin as she picked at a plate of half eaten fries. I smirked at Piper. Finally, the attention was off Percy and I. Yet I felt this sudden need to talk about him; to talk to him. I contemplated pulling out my phone to text him back, considering that I hadn't answered his texts all day.

Piper and the girl's orders of course. They didn't want to tell the boys about our girls night in fear that they would come ruin it.

I internally groaned.

"Why were you coming back the next morning?" Clarisse asked.

"Yeah," I said, raising an eyebrow, "what kept you up all night?"

We all stared at Piper intently waiting for a response, but lucky for her, she didn't need to think of one.

Someone knocked loudly at the door, making all of us jump. "Quickly!" urged whomever was there. Thalia got up from the edge of the bed and trudged her way over to the door. The second she opened it, Rachel Elizabeth Dare ran into the room with two boxes of pizza in her hand and slammed the door behind her.

Her red curls were a mess; the parts of her hair that were still in it's (I'm guessing) previous bun were extremely loose while the rest of her hair cascaded onto her white freckled shoulders and pink tank top. Her eyes had this crazy look to them that I had never seen in the five days that I'd known her.

I couldn't tell if she was talking to us or herself, but either way she was mumbling. "I mean, how hard is it to lose a group of college aged guys? Pretty hard. They were following me, those weirdos."

"RED," Clarisse walked over and took the pizzas from her, then placed her hands on Rachel's shoulders. "You okay, kid?"

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, nodding.

"What happened to you?" I asked, still in my previous position.

Rachel jumped on the bed to join us. "Those… those lunatics were following me!"

I raised my eyebrow. "Come again?"

She sighed and rolled her light green eyes. "I went to go pick up the pizza at Pizza Poca on the 3rd level, you know, the one Frank works at?" Everyone nodded, understandingly. Even me, even though I actually didn't know where Frank worked, but whatever. "And all the guys were there! They were all talking about you guys, wondering where you all are, so they asked me. And I know how you didn't want them intruding, so I said I didn't know!" she continued. "But then they asked who the pizzas were for, and I said they were all for me, but they didn't look convinced, so I ran and they were following me, but I lost them!" She said this all in one breath.

"Yeah," I nodded from the bed. "Percy kept texting me, he wants to hang out tonight." My stomach lightened at the thought of him texting me, but hopefully the girls didn't notice.

Hazel, Katie, and Piper nodded. "Yeah, so does Frank," Hazel said.

"Travis called me twice," Katie added.

"And Jason spammed my phone," Piper told us.

Clarisse grabbed a slice of cheese pizza from the top box on the table. "Wait, explain to me why we're not answering them?" she asked while taking a large bite.

"Because," Thalia explained, "knowing Kept Head and my idiot brother, once they realize that we're having a girl's night, they'll try to spy on us or something."

I raised an eyebrow. "What are they, in middle school?"

Thalia nodded. "Took you this long to realize it?"

Piper stood up to get a slice of pizza for herself. "Whatever, let's not talk about them. Let's talk about to tomorrow, so what's everyones work schedules?"

"I'm on unloading crew, helping passengers get on and off the boat all day," Thalia said with an eyeroll.

"Yeah, me too," Hazel said.

"I'm stuck with them," Clarisse added.

Silena squinted at herself in the mirror as she applied another coat of mascara. "I'm free." She set the mascar down and turned to face us on the bed. "I was supposed to work at that french bakery, but they cut the extra shifts because so many people are going on land tomorrow."

"Are you allowed to go on shore?" Piper asked.

Silena nodded. "Yup, and I know the perfect little shop to get uhm, what you were looking for," she said with a wink in Piper's direction.

Piper's eyes widened slightly.

"What is she talking about?" I asked Piper.

Before she could answer, Thalia groaned. "Ew, if it has to do with my brother, don't say it. Please, I beg."

We all giggled, and the night seemed to go on forever.

* * *

_**A/N: sorry for the time change in the story, but I had to move things along!**_

_**So the next chapter will be from the guys POV, what do you want them to do?! Let me know!(:**_


	13. Chapter 12 - Pre-Waii Part 1

_**A/N: Here's a super short Percy chapter!**_

_**WARNING WARNING WARNING PLEASE READ WARNING WARNING**_

_**Technically, there are no lemons or even citrus yet, but Percy's thoughts become more… sexual. Starting now, the story might get a little citrusy.**_

_**Reviews:**_

_**to all of you that wanted the guys to spy on the girls: I thought about it, but I realized that these guys are college kids and that's kind of imature.**_

_**linglt14: you're an angel**_

_**Sora Loves Rain: you are correct and the FIRST PERSON TO NOTICE. Yes, Percy still hasn't made the connection that Annabeth is the sister that Malcolm talks about.**_

_**PercabethJasper'n'More: nope! ahah**_

_**to everyone else: thank you so much, happy reading!**_

* * *

_Disclaimer__: I do not own Percy Jackson, although I do own a phone case._

* * *

_Summary__:_

_This is Percy Jackson's 3rd summer working as a lifeguard on one of his father's cruise ships. Just him and his best friends on a cruise all summer long. Goes to show that when it seems like nothing can get better, a blonde walks into your life._

* * *

_Chapter 12: Pre-Waii - Part 1_

* * *

Percy:

"So what do you think?" Travis asked, leaning forward in his seat.

Frank, on the other hand, leaned back and rubbed his hand over his buzz cut. He let out a deep sigh and shook his head. "I don't know, but I don't like the way Rach ran away from us."

Jason bit the inside of his cheek, something Percy had noticed that he only did when he was deep in thought. "Maybe they're like… I don't know, having a hot girl meeting."

Beck rolled his eyes like the answer should be obvious. "You idiots, they're probably all on their periods or something."

It was about 10:30 at night. The ship should be docking on the sandy beaches of Kauai in about 10 hours. While us guys had been expecting to party with the girls tonight, we had found out early this evening that the girls had a completely different idea on how tonight was going to go.

In simple terms, they ditched us.

So instead of going out anyway, we were here; wallowing in our own self pity at a sports bar.

Malcolm came up to our table, his grey eyes looking tired. "You guys want anything else, or are you all just gonna sit here and complain?"

Without looking up at him, Jason snapped his fingers and pointed to Malcolm. "We're gonna go with the second option."

"Whoa whoa," Connor said, "speak for yourself. Hey Mal, can you get me a double shot of grey goose?"

"Hell no," Travis interrupted. "I'm not about to carry your ass home. Just get him a water, dude."

Malcolm nodded and made his way back to the bar.

It was quiet among our table of annoyed guys for a moment before Leo, of course, tried to break it. "Guys, let's just go out and find other chicks. Except Beck and Frank, you guys are tied down. But Jas, Perce, Stolls, let's go!"

I begged. I pleaded. But no avail.

No more than 15 minutes later, the smell of alcohol had overtaken my senses in the dim light of Club Parfait (the club where I first met Annabeth… did I mention that?). My eyes were locked on Ashley's (or was it Ava?) bright white smile as she twirled a strand of her bleached blond, fried straight hair. Her lips moved, she obviously said something, Shit, what'd she say?

"I'm sorry, what?" I asked, like a dumbass.

But instead of getting insulted that I wasn't listening to her at all, she just giggled. "I said, wanna buy me a drink?" she asked with a bat of her clunky black eyelashes.

I didn't have to buy it, I could just get drinks for free. But I wasn't about to tell her that. I flashed her a white smile, trying to ignore any similarities between Abby (or was it Angie?) and Annabeth, which honestly wasn't many. Flagging down Castor, I put two of my fingers up, letting him know that I was ordering two shots.

Why was I buying this girl a shot? Who knows.

I studied Alice (or was it Allie?) so hard, that she probably thought I was checking her out. (Which I kinda was). But mostly, I was comparing her to Annabeth. Annabeth's hair was a little darker and way curlier. The girl in front of me was wearing a cropped tight top that showed off her flat tan stomach and her belly button. Her hot red pencil skirt hugged her ass. Annabeth was a little wider with an ass that I just wanted to grab and spank until she screamed my name and begged me to go harder.

Whoa, where'd that come from?!

During the six days I'd known her, I hadn't even kissed Annabeth yet, let alone do anything… like that.

I groaned and ran my hand over my head, aggravated over the impact that Annabeth had over me when she wasn't even here.

The girl (Alyssa maybe?) must have thought that I groaned out of sexual frustration (which I might have, but it was because I was thinking about Annabeth) and she pushed her tits together with a swift movement of her shoulders, then threw the shot in her hand down her throat.

Wow, I must have been so busy thinking about Annabeth that I didn't notice that Castor had dropped off the shots. I grabbed my matching shot glass off the counter and tossed the cool liquid in my mouth, letting the warm soothing alcohol trickle down my throat.

I breathed out a sigh of relief, promising myself that I wouldn't think about Annabeth for the rest of the night.

We weren't dating.

We didn't have a thing.

Hell, she barely even liked me.

I wasn't about to fall for a passenger. In 3 weeks, Annabeth would step off this ship and out of my life. It would be best if we just stayed friends. Less risk.

But I didn't have to stay friends with the hottie smiling in front of me.

I opened my eyes and gave Alison (maybe?) a charming, seductive smile. She must have noticed my change in demeanor, because she returned my glace with a sly smirk. Then, she grabbed my wrist and pulled me onto the dance floor.

At this point, I was lost in the music, lost in the alcohol, and lost on the dance floor with some girls hands on my body.

Even if I wanted to, I couldn't tell you how I got to my dad's old room. It's not that I blacked out from the drinks, it's just that I had a lot on my mind.

I remembered how heated mine and Arina's (possibly?) dancing was getting, and she was leaning in for a close makeout sesh; but I couldn't do it.

Yes. I, Percy Jackson Poseidon, couldn't do it.

We were still on the dance floor, we hadn't even kissed, yet this girl was so thirsty, her thong might as well already have been off. She wanted it so bad.

And I couldn't seal the deal.

Hell, I couldn't even kiss her.

I pushed her off of me and stormed out.

Why? Who fucking knows.

But here I was, in my father's old bedroom that's barely his anymore. I mean, he only stayed here twice, where as I stay here all the time. He probably lost his key, and he doesn't even remember that I have one.

This bedroom was more like my secret oasis than his property anyday. In fact, that's what I'm going to call it from now on. My secret oasis. Or, mine and Annabeth's secret oasis. Might as well, I mean, she's the only person I've ever brought here.

Dammit, there she goes again, crawling into my mind. Stay _out. _

I let out an aggravated groan and fell onto the king sized bed covered by a black comforter. It was dark because I hadn't bothered to turn the lights on yet, and probably wouldn't. I could make out the shape of the furniture pieces that complimented the bed with help from the dim light reaching in from the sliding door that lead outside. Most of the glass was covered by the curtain, but the sliver that wasn't shone with the light from the parties going on on the ship.

I pulled out my phone to check the time, seeing that I had a text.

**Jason: **_**hey Jackson, i went back to our room cuz i struck out. come back whenever. but if you bring a girl with you, try not to wake me up.**_

I laughed out loud. There was no way Jason struck out, he never does. He probably didn't hook up with a girl because of Piper. He hadn't said so, but I can read him like an open book; Piper was special. I was surprised, in all honesty, because Piper was so unlike any of his ex-girlfriends. She was so carefree and loving, unlike the cold girls he used to date. I secretly hoped that they would work out.

But like Annabeth, in 3 weeks, Piper would walk off this ship.

So if it could work for Jason… maybe it could work for me?

I pushed that thought out of my head. Annabeth didn't like me at all. Sometimes, I caught her checking me out. Biting her lip and staring at my body when I was working. She might find me attractive, but she hated my personality. Half the time, she could barely stand to be around me. She'd glare at me and roll her eyes, like I wasn't even worth the time.

But the other half of the time… she talked to me like she'd known me for years.

It was enough to give me a killer headache.

What about her personality? She was a nightmare.

She argued with everything I said and insisted that she was always right. But she was so strong. Out of what I know about her past, there's so much that she could be constantly complaining about; yet she seems reluctant to tell people.

And I found myself wanting - no, _needing_ - to know more. I wanted to know everything about her, all of her darkest secrets, every thought that popped into her head.

I wanted to argue with her everyday, until she's about to storm away. But I won't let her; I grab her wrist and caress her soft cheek, pressing my lips against hers. I would do anything to taste her skin. Grab her tits and spank her ass as I…

STOP JACKSON.

My night went on like that for hours. Trying to get Annabeth out of my mind, giving up once I was thinking about her, wondering about her past, getting extremely sexually frustrated, trying to keep my pants on as I thought about her, until I gave in.

Afterward, when I was about to pass out, I came to a decision. I only had 3 weeks with Annabeth left, and I wasn't about to waste another day.

Tomorrow was a new day.

* * *

_**A/N: so what'd you think? The next chapter is in Annabeth's POV and it comes from the same night, the night before they dock in Kauaui. What do you want to happen?! Let me know!**_


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